diff --git a/litellm/integrations/opentelemetry.py b/litellm/integrations/opentelemetry.py
index 8d588896b2f..869b6ddbd77 100644
--- a/litellm/integrations/opentelemetry.py
+++ b/litellm/integrations/opentelemetry.py
@@ -2128,6 +2128,20 @@ class OpenTelemetry(OTELGenAISemconvMixin, CustomLogger):
 
             guardrail_span.end(end_time=self._to_ns(end_time_datetime))
 
+    def _get_error_status_description(self, kwargs) -> str | None:
+        """Mirror the error.message attribute text for the ERROR status
+        description, so backends that render the span status show the actual
+        error instead of an empty message (issue #44184)."""
+        standard_logging_payload: Final[StandardLoggingPayload | None] = kwargs.get("standard_logging_object")
+        if standard_logging_payload is None:
+            return None
+        error_information: Final = standard_logging_payload.get("error_information")
+        if error_information is None:
+            error_str: Final = standard_logging_payload.get("error_str")
+            return error_str if isinstance(error_str, str) and error_str else None
+        message: Final = error_information.get("error_message")
+        return message if isinstance(message, str) and message else None
+
     def _handle_failure(self, kwargs, response_obj, start_time, end_time):
         from opentelemetry.trace import Status, StatusCode
 
@@ -2157,6 +2171,11 @@ class OpenTelemetry(OTELGenAISemconvMixin, CustomLogger):
             parent_otel_span = None  # Ignore parent spans from other providers
             _parent_context = None
 
+        # Mirror the error.message attribute text onto the ERROR status, so
+        # backends that render the span status don't show an empty error
+        # (issue #44184).
+        error_status_description: Final = self._get_error_status_description(kwargs)
+
         # Decide whether to create a primary span
         # Always create if no parent span exists (backward compatibility)
         # OR if USE_OTEL_LITELLM_REQUEST_SPAN is explicitly enabled
@@ -2174,7 +2193,7 @@ class OpenTelemetry(OTELGenAISemconvMixin, CustomLogger):
             if self._gen_ai_semconv_latest_experimental:
                 span_kwargs["kind"] = self.span_kind.CLIENT
             span = otel_tracer.start_span(**span_kwargs)
-            span.set_status(Status(StatusCode.ERROR))
+            span.set_status(Status(status_code=StatusCode.ERROR, description=error_status_description))
             self.set_attributes(span, kwargs, response_obj)
 
             # Record exception information using OTEL standard method
@@ -2187,7 +2206,7 @@ class OpenTelemetry(OTELGenAISemconvMixin, CustomLogger):
             # Only set attributes if the span is still recording (not closed)
             # Note: parent_otel_span is guaranteed to be not None here
             if parent_otel_span.is_recording():
-                parent_otel_span.set_status(Status(StatusCode.ERROR))
+                parent_otel_span.set_status(Status(status_code=StatusCode.ERROR, description=error_status_description))
                 self.set_attributes(parent_otel_span, kwargs, response_obj)
                 self._record_exception_on_span(span=parent_otel_span, kwargs=kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tests/logging_callback_tests/test_opentelemetry_unit_tests.py b/tests/logging_callback_tests/test_opentelemetry_unit_tests.py
index fcbd6dbc531..5c758758ca7 100644
--- a/tests/logging_callback_tests/test_opentelemetry_unit_tests.py
+++ b/tests/logging_callback_tests/test_opentelemetry_unit_tests.py
@@ -87,20 +87,16 @@ class TestOpentelemetryUnitTests(BaseLoggingCallbackTest):
             detected_context, detected_span = otel_integration._get_span_context(kwargs)
 
             # Assert: Should detect the active span
-            assert (
-                detected_span is not None
-            ), "Should detect active span from global context"
-            assert (
-                detected_span is parent_span
-            ), "Detected span should be the active parent span"
+            assert detected_span is not None, "Should detect active span from global context"
+            assert detected_span is parent_span, "Detected span should be the active parent span"
 
             detected_span_context = detected_span.get_span_context()
-            assert (
-                detected_span_context.trace_id == parent_span_context.trace_id
-            ), "Detected span should have same trace_id as parent"
-            assert (
-                detected_span_context.span_id == parent_span_context.span_id
-            ), "Detected span should have same span_id as parent"
+            assert detected_span_context.trace_id == parent_span_context.trace_id, (
+                "Detected span should have same trace_id as parent"
+            )
+            assert detected_span_context.span_id == parent_span_context.span_id, (
+                "Detected span should have same span_id as parent"
+            )
 
     def test_record_exception_on_span(self):
         """
@@ -162,9 +158,9 @@ class TestOpentelemetryUnitTests(BaseLoggingCallbackTest):
         actual_calls = [call.args for call in mock_span.set_attribute.call_args_list]
 
         for expected_call in expected_calls:
-            assert (
-                expected_call in actual_calls
-            ), f"Expected set_attribute call {expected_call} not found in actual calls: {actual_calls}"
+            assert expected_call in actual_calls, (
+                f"Expected set_attribute call {expected_call} not found in actual calls: {actual_calls}"
+            )
 
     def test_record_exception_on_span_with_fallback(self):
         """
@@ -205,6 +201,42 @@ class TestOpentelemetryUnitTests(BaseLoggingCallbackTest):
         mock_span.record_exception.assert_called_once_with(test_exception)
 
         # Assert: error.message should be set from error_str using ErrorAttributes constant
-        mock_span.set_attribute.assert_called_with(
-            ErrorAttributes.ERROR_MESSAGE, "Fallback error message"
-        )
+        mock_span.set_attribute.assert_called_with(ErrorAttributes.ERROR_MESSAGE, "Fallback error message")
+
+    def test_get_error_status_description_from_error_information(self):
+        """The ERROR status description mirrors the error_message attribute
+        text, so backends that render the span status show the actual error
+        (issue #44184)."""
+        from litellm.integrations.opentelemetry import OpenTelemetry
+
+        otel_integration = OpenTelemetry()
+        kwargs = {
+            "standard_logging_object": {
+                "error_information": {
+                    "error_code": "500",
+                    "error_class": "ValueError",
+                    "error_message": "Test error message",
+                },
+                "error_str": "Test error message",
+            },
+        }
+        assert otel_integration._get_error_status_description(kwargs) == "Test error message"
+
+    def test_get_error_status_description_falls_back_to_error_str(self):
+        from litellm.integrations.opentelemetry import OpenTelemetry
+
+        otel_integration = OpenTelemetry()
+        kwargs = {
+            "standard_logging_object": {
+                "error_information": None,
+                "error_str": "Fallback error message",
+            },
+        }
+        assert otel_integration._get_error_status_description(kwargs) == "Fallback error message"
+
+    def test_get_error_status_description_none_when_no_error(self):
+        from litellm.integrations.opentelemetry import OpenTelemetry
+
+        otel_integration = OpenTelemetry()
+        assert otel_integration._get_error_status_description({"standard_logging_object": None}) is None
+        assert otel_integration._get_error_status_description({}) is None