Big Trouble for Brandy

Brandy Norwood first rose to superstardom as television’s Moesha, a spirited teenager who sometimes had to learn her lessons the hard way. Brandy herself may have some tough lessons ahead her.

It's fairly common these days for reality TV contestants to cause controversy, but still relatively rare for judges to do so (Paula Abdul notwithstanding). However, America's Got Talent judge Brandy has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons.

As her publicist states, “Brandy was involved in a car accident December 30, 2006, in Los Angeles where there was a fatality. She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased. Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time.”

More specifically, on December 30, 2006, at around 10:30 AM, Brandy was driving her 2007 Land Rover on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. Reportedly, Norwood was driving around 65 mph, but did not notice that cars in front of her had slowed considerably. Brandy's vehicle struck a 2005 Toyota. The 2005 Toyota then hit a 1989 Toyota. The 2005 Toyota then slid sideways and hit the center divider. As the 2005 Toyota came to a halt, a 1988 Acura struck it.

The website TMZ.com reports that a man who was on the scene heard Brandy repeatedly accept blame for the incident, “She got upset, talking about how it was all her fault ... she didn't stop, kept saying how she hit the lady," says the witness. The witness noted that he even counseled Brandy to stop saying she was at fault, and that “it was an accident.”

However, sources have reported that the California Highway Patrol has recommended that Brandy be charged for vehicular manslaughter for her role in the multi-car collision. Awatef Aboudihaj, the driver of the 2005 Toyota, was taken to Holy Cross Hospital in critical condition, where she died the next day. Aboudihaj, a 38-year-old married mother of one and a Los Angeles waitress, died from blunt-force injuries, according to the coroner's office.

It is important to note that police are doing a mechanical investigation of the cars involved in the accident to determine if there was a malfunction. There was no evidence drugs or alcohol were the cause of the accident. The CHP have also clarified that Norwood was not using a cell phone as has been reported by some outlets.

Facts that have prompted some civil rights leaders to wonder if there is another agenda at play when considering charging Norwood. Najee Ali, leader of Project Islamic HOPE, said the CHP's recommendation to file charges against the singer "is unfairly targeting her for prosecution because of her celebrity," TMZ.com reports.

City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo says "We will treat this case like every other case and treat it very seriously because someone died."

If convicted, Norwood could face a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

But, those are only the criminal charges – Foxes On Idol has learned that civil charges have also been filed against Brandy Norwood as this article was going to press.

Brandy’s camp acknowledges the wrongful death suit, but says little else: "The accident was a terrible tragedy, and Brandy's heart goes out to Awatef Aboudihaj's family," spokesman Allan Mayer said in a released press statement. "But for legal reasons we cannot comment on this lawsuit."

Billboard Magazine reports the parents of Awatef Aboudihaj are suing for $50 million, charging that the singer/actress was driving recklessly when her Land Rover struck the back of Aboudihaj’s Honda.

The suit, filed on behalf of Aboudihaj Ahmed and Labridi Zohra in Los Angeles Superior Court, comes a day after the California Highway Patrol recommended Brandy be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the Dec. 30 accident.

Brandy began her recording career at 14, recorded five albums, and won a Grammy in 1999. She received critical acclaim for her role on Moesha, serving as a rare role model for African-American teenaged girls. As mentioned earlier, Brandy has most recnetly served as a judge on the show America's Got Talent, and was expected to return for the show’s anticipated Summer 2007 run.

No stranger to controversy, Brandy may or may not have secretly married music producer Robert Smith. They appeared together in the MTV reality series Brandy: Special Delivery, which focused on the birth of her daughter, Sy'rai, but Brandy later claimed she and Smith were never married (though she referred to Robert as her husband repeatedly throughout the series). At the time of her pregnancy Brandy says she did marry pro basketball player Quentin Richardson, but the marriage was brief.

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Sting7 has been a respected published writer for many years, as a music editor, entertainment critic, columnist, and interviewer. He also has a curious love for pro-wrestling! You can email Stinger at stingseven@yahoo.com.

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