| Brandy Norwood Quick Info |
|---|
| Height | 5 ft 7 in |
| Weight | 64 kg |
| Date of Birth | February 11, 1979 |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Brandy Norwood is a singer-songwriter, and actress from Mississippi, United States. Being the sister of famous singer-actor, Ray J, she was influenced by music from a young age. She has released several albums Never Say Never, Two Eleven, Afrodisiac, and many others. She has also appeared in the Broadway and off-Broadway musical Chicago from 2015 to 2017. She is also related to wrestler Sasha Banks and singer Snoop Dogg.
Born Name
Brandy Rayana Norwood
Nick Name
B Rocka, Bran’Nu, B-Rocka, The Vocal Bible, The Princess of R&B
Sun Sign
Aquarius
Born Place
McComb, Mississippi, United States
Nationality
Education
Brandy Norwood went to the Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. She also attended Hollywood High School. However, in the 10th grade, she dropped out of high school and decided to continue her studies with the assistance of a private tutor.
She is also an alumnus of Pepperdine University.
Occupation
Singer, actress, model, songwriter, record producer
Family
- Father – Willie Norwood (Singer, Songwriter, and Record Producer)
- Mother – Sonja Norwood (Former District Manager for H&R Block)
- Siblings – Ray J (Older Brother) (Singer, Songwriter, Television Personality, and Actor)
- Others – Snoop Dogg (First Cousin) (Rapper, Singer, Songwriter, Record Producer, and Television Personality), Sasha Banks (First Cousin) (Professional Wrestler), Fred “Freddie” Bates (Maternal Grandfather), Mary Thompson (Maternal Grandmother)
Manager
Brandy Norwood is represented by ICM Partners (Talent and Literary Agency).
Genre
R&B, pop, hip hop
Instruments
Vocals
Labels
Atlantic Records (1993-2005), Knockout Entertainment (2005-2008), Epic (2008-2009), RCA (2011-2015), Chameleon Entertainment (2011-2017), Entertainment One Music, Primary Wave Entertainment
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 7 in or 170 cm
Weight
64 kg or 141 lbs
Boyfriend / Spouse
Brandy Norwood has dated
Wanya Morris – Brandy dated singer Wanya Morris in the mid-nineties. She has often acknowledged their relationship in her numerous interviews and has cited him as her first love. However, their relationship had been shrouded in controversy. It was claimed that they started dating when she was just 16 years old. Her mother and family decided to go on a trip to Las Vegas so that Brandy could have some alone time with Morris. During that stay, they had s*x and he even reportedly got her pregnant, after which she was forced to get an abortion.Kobe Bryant (1996) – In April 1996, the future basketball legend Kobe Bryant decided to ask Norwood to accompany him as his date to his prom at Lower Merion High School. However, their relationship didn’t last long.Mase (1998) – In 1998, Brandy was reported to be dating rapper and songwriter Mase. They had grown close while recording her single, Top of the World, which was featured in her album, Never Say Never, which was a groundbreaking success.Usher (1998-1999) – As per reports, Norwood started dating singer Usher in 1998. They had met on the sets of her popular TV series, Moesha. Their romance blossomed soon after. They decided to separate in 1999 after having dated for about a year.Robert Smith (2000-2003) – In 2000, Brandy started going out with music producer Robert Smith. In June 2002, she gave birth to their daughter, Sy’rai. Her pregnancy and subsequent childbirth were covered in the TV show, MTV Diary’s Presents: Brandy’s Special Delivery. While announcing her pregnancy, she claimed that she and Smith had got secretly married in July 2001. When they separated in 2003, she revealed that they had got divorced. However, Smith disputed her version of events and even claimed that they had never got married. He claimed that it was a lie told simply to sustain her wholesome image.Quentin Richardson (2004-2005) – Norwood officially started dating basketball player Quentin Richardson at the start of 2004. In July 2004, she revealed that they had got engaged. He had reportedly proposed to her during a private party at the Century Club in Los Angeles with the couple’s friends and families in attendance. However, they didn’t make it to the aisle as they separated in October 2005. It was claimed that she had got his face tattooed on her back, which was later transformed into a cat after their breakup.Mychael Knight (2006) – In August 2006, Norwood was rumored to be dating fashion designer Mychael Knight. It was claimed that they had met while she was promoting her reality TV show in Atlanta. They had been introduced by an industry acquaintance. She was later spotted sitting in the front row of her fashion show at the New York Fashion Week, which further sparked dating rumors.Fredro Starr (2007-2008)Tyrese Gibson (2008) – Towards the end of 2008, Norwood was linked with actor Tyrese Gibson. They were spotted together in a mall in Century City, California in November and as per onlookers, they looked more than close friends. However, these rumors were refuted by Gibson, who claimed that they had been close friends since the age of 14 and they have never been more than that at any point in time.Flo Rida (2010) – In the early months of 2010, she was reported to be dating singer Flo Rida. First, he was spotted at her birthday party and as per media sources, they were spotted holding hands at the event. In her interview in April, she sort of confirmed their relationship by confirming they were going out. But she insisted that they shouldn’t be labeled as a couple as he was just somebody in whom she was interested at that time. However, even that unique equation didn’t last long as she revealed in an interview that she wanted to focus on her career. Some media reports claimed that he had left her for another woman.Terrence Jenkins (2010-2011) – Towards the end of 2010, she was linked with actor Terrence Jenkins. They were first spotted together at a basketball game at Madison Square Garden. Later, Brandy and her brother Ray J were spotted lending support to Jenkins at the screening of The Game in Los Angeles. They decided to end their relationship in February 2011.Ryan Press (2010-2014) – In December 2010, Norwood started dating music executive, Ryan Press. About two years later, they got engaged in December 2012. But once again, the engagement didn’t lead to marriage. In April 2014, she announced that she had called off their engagement. She also revealed that they had separated in the early months of 2014.Sir the Baptist (2017) – In May 2017, Norwood officially started dating songwriter and recording artist, Sir the Baptist. However, their relationship unraveled in a space of a couple of months. Brandy decided to dump him in July after she caught him sneaking in three women during Essence Festival weekend.Race / Ethnicity
Black
She has African-American ancestry.
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Curvaceous Figure
- Dreadlocks Hairdo
Brand Endorsements
Brandy Norwood has appeared in the TV commercials for the following brands –
- Barbie Dolls
- UNICEF
- Covergirl Mascara
She has also been featured in print adverts for the following products
- Cover Girl EyeSlicks
- Covergirl’s Fresh Look Oil-Free Makeup
- Covergirl’s Outlast All-Day Lipcolor
- DKNY Jeans
In 2005, Brandy was announced as the spokesperson for Ultima.
In 2011, she also appeared in a PSA for Skin Cancer.
Religion
Christianity
Best Known For
- The immense popularity and commercial success of her studio album, Never Say Never. The album sold over 16 million copies and spawned two #1 singles. Th album also helped her win her first Grammy Award.
- Having played the starring role in the American sitcom series, Moesha
- Having appeared in his family’s reality TV series, Brandy & Ray J: A Family Business
First Album
In September 1994, she released her debut studio album, Brandy. The album was a tremendous hit and managed to sell over 10 million copies all over the world, which led to quadruple Platinum certification in the U.S.
First Film
In 1990, Brandy made her theatrical film debut in the horror comedy movie, Arachnophobia. However, her appearance in the movie wasn’t credited.
Her first credited appearance came in an important role in the thriller horror movie, I Still Know What You Did Last Summer, which was released in 1998 to commercial success.
First TV Show
In 1993, Brandy Norwood made her first TV show appearance in the American sitcom, Thea.
Personal Trainer
Brandy Norwood regularly works out to keep herself fit. She keeps on varying her workout regime to get the most out of it. However, there is one thing consistent about her workout routine and that is boxing. She makes sure that she boxes 3 to 4 rounds daily. She believes that her boxing provides her with excellent cardio.
If she can’t train at the gym due to her busy schedule, she relies on a couple of bodyweight exercises for her home workout such as pushups, squats, and jumping jacks. She has also made meditation an important part of her daily routine.
Brandy Norwood Favorite Things
- Influence – Whitney Houston
- Music Inspirations – Enya, Kim Burrell, Michael Jackson, Sade, Boyz II Men, The Clark Sisters, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Janet Jackson, Timbaland, Coldplay, and her brother Ray J
Brandy Norwood Facts
In 1996, she was selected by People Magazine in their list featuring 50 Most Beautiful People in the World.The role she eventually played in I Still Know What You Did Last Summer was meant for a Caucasian girl. But after she auditioned for the role, the movie producers decided to cast her.After she was cast in the role of Cinderella in the TV film with the similar name, she became the first African American actress to be cast in the iconic role. She was specially selected by the producer Whitney Houston.Brandy decided that she wanted to become an actress when she was 4 years old. She managed to record her first single by the time she turned 11.In February 2006, she was placed at the 37th spot by VH-1 in their list featuring 100 Greatest Teen Stars. She also managed to grab the 33rd position in their 50 Greatest Teen Idols.In 1990, she was signed up by Teaspoon Productions and was made backing vocalist of their R&B boy band, Immature. The company also arranged for her to record a demo tape.After her music career took off, her mother decided to quit her job and managed Norwood’s music commitments.In 1997, she and her family decided to start The Norwood Kids Foundation, which aimed to help disadvantaged youths in Mississippi and Los Angeles through self-help and arts programs.Mattel launched the “Brandy Doll” in 1999.In 2004, she decided to end her 11 years long association with Atlantic Records claiming that she wanted to move on. Atlantic decided to grant her unconditional release.In December 2006, she was involved in a fatal accident that led to the death of 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj, who was driving Toyota with which her Range Rover collided. She wasn’t arrested nor charged because of lack of insufficient evidence.In January 2007, Aboudihaj’s parents decided to file a wrongful death lawsuit against Norwood in which they asked for $50 million settlement. They eventually agreed to reach out of the court settlement with Norwood.She was also slapped with a lawsuit by Aboudihaj’s husband. In February 2009, he decided to reject a $1.2 million settlement offer. But he eventually agreed to settle the lawsuit out of the court in November of the same year.As per court documents filed in June 2009, it was revealed that Aboudihaj’s two children received $300,000 each in the settlement after they had filed their separate lawsuit against Norwood.In March 2016, Brandy filed a lawsuit against Chameleon Entertainment Group and its president, Breyon Prescott, after they reportedly refused to allow her to release new albums. However, the lawsuit was thrown out of court due to a particular clause. She later filed another lawsuit a few months later, demanding $270,000 in compensation and a legal declaration that she was contractually freed from the label. In 2017, it was revealed that both parties had reached a settlement.In November 2016, Brandy was honored with the “Lady of Soul Award” at the Soul Train Music Awards. With this, she became the 2nd recipient of this award.In 2019, she received the “BMI President’s Award” at the BMI R&B/Hip-Hop Awards.In July 2020, she released a new studio album titled B7, which debuted at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 chart and No. 2 on the UK R&B Albums chart.In March 2021, Brandy was selected by John Legend as a mentor for the 20th season of the singing competition series The Voice.In March 2022, she released a new song titled Nothing Without You.In October 2022, it was reported that Brandy had been hospitalized after suffering a seizure.In November 2023, she released a new studio album titled Christmas with Brandy.In November 2023, Brandy performed her song Someday at Christmas at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.Visit her official website @ 4everbrandy.com.Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube VEVO.Featured Image by Brandy Norwood / Instagram
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