Ernest Thomas, best known for playing Raj on the sitcom “What’s Happening!!,” was born with amblyopia in his right eye, commonly called “lazy eye.” The condition was present from childhood and visible throughout his career, giving his right eye a noticeably different alignment. Later in life, he lost vision in that eye entirely, something he has said was preventable.
His Childhood Condition
Amblyopia occurs when one eye and the brain don’t work together properly, resulting in reduced vision in the affected eye. In Thomas’s case, the condition also caused a visible misalignment of his right eye, which is sometimes associated with a related condition called strabismus. He grew up with the condition and had it well before he ever appeared on screen.
When Thomas moved to Los Angeles in the 1970s to pursue acting, the appearance of his right eye was already noticeable. It didn’t stop him from landing roles. After hearing about an audition while on the set of “The Jeffersons,” he won the part of Raj in “What’s Happening!!,” the ABC sitcom loosely based on the 1975 film “Cooley High.” His eye condition was visible on camera, but it became part of his recognizable look rather than a barrier to his career.
How He Lost Vision in His Right Eye
Thomas has been open about the fact that he is now blind in his right eye. In an Instagram post, he shared the details directly: “I feel so blessed and grateful to have sight in my left eye, but I’m blind in my right eye because I didn’t put my eye drops in twice a day. Totally preventable.”
That statement points to a treatable condition, likely glaucoma or another progressive eye disease, that worsened because prescribed eye drops weren’t used consistently. Many conditions that threaten vision can be managed with daily medicated drops, but skipping doses allows damage to accumulate over time. Once vision is lost to conditions like glaucoma, it typically cannot be restored. Thomas has spoken about this with a tone of personal accountability, framing it as a cautionary example for others.
Living With the Condition
Despite losing sight in one eye, Thomas has remained active and public. He was not shy about discussing his vision challenges, and by his own account, he turned what could have been a setback into a distinctive part of his identity. He has continued making appearances and engaging with fans on social media, where he has shared updates about his health and reflections on his career.
Amblyopia affects roughly 2 to 3 percent of the population, making it one of the most common causes of vision problems in one eye. When detected early in childhood, it can often be improved with treatment like patching the stronger eye or using corrective lenses. For Thomas, growing up with the condition decades ago meant fewer intervention options than exist today. The visible misalignment he carried throughout his career was a cosmetic feature of the underlying condition, not something that developed later or resulted from an injury.
His willingness to talk publicly about losing vision in his right eye, and to attribute it to something as simple as not keeping up with eye drops, has resonated with fans who remember him from “What’s Happening!!” and its sequel series. It’s a straightforward reminder that routine eye care, even when it feels minor, can determine whether vision is preserved or permanently lost.