Marvin Gaye III Kidney Failure: Says Robin Thicke Lawsuit Damaging To His Health

Marvin Gaye III is suffering from potential kidney failure. He has announced that he needs a kidney transplant, He also commented that, since seeking the transplant, he has become very aware of the difficulties that exist for people in similar circumstances.

The Associated Press reports that he is now fronting a campaign to encourage Blacks and Hispanics to participate more fully in organ donation programs.

Gaye, 47, is the adopted eldest son of the late Marvin Gaye. His biological mother was a niece of Marvin Gaye Sr. In a recent interview with TMZ, he said that he had a disease that necessitated a kidney replacement. He added that the preemptive lawsuit brought by Robin Thicke against his late father’s estate was a distraction and was affecting his ability to deal fully with his medical problems.

Gay said that the lawsuit had brought the family a great deal of distress and he had to spend time on the defense. He remarked: “I have a lot of better things to do than to be sitting here trying to defend my father’s legacy, which I’m glad to do because that’s my position in the family.” He added that he was also trying to promote his new song album.

The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a statement saying:

“African-Americans, Asians and Pacific Islanders, and Hispanics/Latinos are three times more likely than Caucasians to suffer from end-stage renal disease, often as the result of high blood pressure and other conditions that can damage the kidneys. Almost 35 percent of the more than 95,000 people on the national waiting list for a kidney transplant are African-American.”

Marvin Gaye III hoped that his new album would help to raise funds and awareness, and he was donating part of the proceeds to kidney research.