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Singer/Actress Brandy on Her Public Breakdown and 3-Year Hiatus

Aired on 03/18/2002 | CC tv-pg
Brandy Rayana Norwood (better known simply as Brandy) looked like a confident teenager when she hit the big time, but behind her famous smile, she says, she struggled with low self-esteem. In the sitcom Moesha, she played the perfect girl next door, yet the glare of the spotlight made it harder and harder for her to maintain the squeaky-clean image her parents had created for her. All the while, she was in a verbally abusive relationship, starved herself and was confused about her identity. After a public breakdown that led to the cancellation of her hit show, she disappeared—for three years. Find out why Brandy sought obscurity and what happened while she was away.

Original airdate: March 18, 2002

Watch an update with Brandy from Oprah: Where Are They Now?