Now and then, the “Brandy Norwood Husband” story resurfaces, leaving new fans confused and curious. I went through the same confusion myself and wondered if the whole thing was fabricated.
In short, yes, the marriage and divorce announcements were both lies, but there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
Eager to understand what happened and why Brandy lied about her marriage on national TV? Read on!
How the False Marriage Story Started
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Let’s set the scene: It was 2002, and Brandy (23 years old at the time) and her mother, Sonja, were on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Both her father and producer/musician Robert (Big Bert) Smith were in the audience that day, too.
That was when Brandy confirmed the rumors—she was pregnant and expecting a baby girl. However, she also talked about how she and Big Bert had tied the knot secretly in the summer of 2001, only six months after they had met.
They didn’t talk much about the details of the wedding, though. Brandy told Oprah in an interview that she promised her husband that she’d never share the date of the wedding publicly, and Oprah respected her wishes.
That said, Brandy was willing to share more about the pregnancy itself in a four-part miniseries titled “Brandy: Special Delivery.” The episodes documented the final months of the pregnancy and the long-awaited birth to Sy’Rai Iman Smith. Naturally, Robert also appeared in the series.
Later, the couple split, and Brandy said that the divorce wasn’t tough at all since she wasn’t really in love with Robert. Yet, this seemingly amicable separation wasn’t the end of this chapter in Brandy’s life.
Big Bert’s Shocking Reveal
The story started breaking apart in 2004 when Robert Smith made statements on two radio stations, revealing that he never legally married (nor divorced) Brandy Norwood.
Instead, he claimed that the ‘marriage’ story was only a way to preserve the R&B star and actress’ image when she got pregnant, but that’s not all. He even revealed that he was seeing someone else at the time. Surprising, no?
What Brandy Had to Say About the Reveal From Her ‘Ex-Husband’
Brandy didn’t deny anything that Robert said. However, she did express that she was “hurt and shocked” by his statement, claiming that he wasn’t thinking of their daughter.
Robert replied that his initial comments don’t mean he’ll wash his hands of his emotional and financial responsibilities to Sy’Rai—she’s still his daughter, after all.
Years later, Brandy sat down with Oprah Winfrey once again to clear the air about the lie she told on national TV. She said that, at the time, she found herself pregnant out of wedlock and was worried about how this would affect her career and image.
Brandy also told Oprah that she had to fabricate a story about secretly marrying Robert because of all the pressure to be “perfect.” However, she acknowledged the lie and apologized for it.
Where They Are Now
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You might be wondering where they all are now. I asked about it, too.
Well, it turns out Sy’Rai Smith inherited the talent. Of course, Brandy is helping out her daughter with her career. The young singer recently announced that the executive producer for her EP is none other than Brandy Norwood.
While Sy’Rai loves being compared to her mom, she’s out there to do her own thing and spread her name.
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As for Robert Smith, he’s now married and has five kids (three girls and two boys) with Xochitl Jacques-Smith. The good news here is that it looks like Sy’Rai gets along just fine with her half-sisters!
Final Thoughts
We might not fully understand what went on behind the scenes between Brandy Norwood and her ‘ex-husband,’ Robert Smith. Still, it was nice to see Brandy growing into her role as a supportive and caring mother, nurturing her daughter’s talent over the years.
What about you? Are you excited to see what Brandy and Sy’Rai will release next?
