Brandy Norwood net worth in 2024 has sparked curiosity among her dedicated fans. The multifaceted artist, renowned for her powerful vocals and memorable roles in shows like Moesha, has made a significant impact on both the music and television industries. With a career spanning over two decades, Brandy has consistently showcased her talent and versatility.
Let’s explore her earnings, sources of income, and the journey that has contributed to her remarkable financial success.
Brandy Norwood in Brief
| Full Name | Brandy Norwood |
| Date of Birth | February 11, 1979 |
| Place of Birth | McComb, Mississippi, USA |
| Occupation | Singer, Actress |
| Height | 5’6″ (170 cm) |
| Partners | Ryan Press |
| Children | Sy’rai Iman Smith |
| Net Worth | $12 million |
Table of Contents
What is Brandy Norwood Net Worth in 2024?
Brandy Norwood is an American singer, songwriter, and actress with a net worth of $12 Million as of 2024. The main source of Brandy Norwood’s wealth primarily comes from her successful music and acting career.
She gained fame in the 1990s with hit albums like “Brandy” and “Never Say Never,” which included popular songs such as “The Boy Is Mine.” Besides her music, she starred in the TV show “Moesha,” which was very popular.
She also made money from roles in movies and other TV shows, as well as from endorsements and business ventures. Her diversified career in entertainment has significantly contributed to her wealth.
Brandy Norwood’s Early Life and Education
Brandy Rayana Norwood was born on February 11, 1979, in McComb Mississippi. Her father Willie Norwood was a gospel singer and choir director while her mother Sonja Norwood worked as a district manager for H&R Block. She’s the older sister of Ray J and is connected to guitarist Bo Diddley through her mother’s side of the family. There have been claims that she’s cousins with rapper Snoop Dogg although she’s uncertain about their actual relationship. She’s also reportedly related to wrestler Mercedes Moné and rapper Daz Dillinger.
Growing up in a Christian family, Brandy started singing in her father’s choir at Southside Church of Christ at the young age of two. In 1983, her family moved to Carson California where she attended Bancroft Junior High School and later Hollywood High Performing Arts Center. Brandy’s passion for music grew after she became a fan of Whitney Houston at seven years old though she faced challenges at school when teachers were reluctant to support her audition pursuits.
By the age of eleven, Brandy Norwood began participating in talent shows and performing with a youth singing group at various events. In 1990, she signed with Teaspoon Productions led by Chris Stokes and Earl Harris. She started as a backing vocalist for the R&B boy band Immature. She also recorded a demo tape through their arrangement.
In 1993, after ongoing talks with East West Records Brandy’s parents secured her a contract with Atlantic Recording Corporation impressing Darryl Williams during auditions. To support her career Brandy’s mother left her job and Brandy Norwood herself left Hollywood High School receiving private tutoring from tenth grade onward.
Brandy Norwood’s Career
Television stardom
Brandy Norwood also acted in a TV show called “Thea.” It started strong but got canceled after just one season. This was a relief for Brandy because she wasn’t that into acting back then. The show’s ending let her focus more on her music career which she was passionate about.
Brandy’s debut album named after herself came out in late September 1994. It did pretty well reaching number twenty on the Billboard 200 chart. Critics liked it comparing her style to Janet Jackson and Mary J. Blige. The album sold over six million copies worldwide and had three top-ten hits on the Billboard Hot 100.
Following her success in music, Brandy Norwood starred in her TV show “Moesha” starting in 1996. It became really popular on UPN and ran for six seasons. She won an NAACP Image Award for her role. During this time Brandy Norwood also started a foundation with her family to help young people in Los Angeles and Mississippi.
Never Say Never
In 1997, Brandy played Cinderella in a TV special produced by Whitney Houston. It was a big hit watched by millions and won an Emmy Award.
Her second album “Never Say Never” released in 1998 was a huge success selling over 16 million copies worldwide. It included the hit song “The Boy Is Mine” a duet with Monica that topped the charts for thirteen weeks and won a Grammy.
Brandy ventured into acting again with roles in movies like “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” and a TV film with Diana Ross called “Double Platinum.”
Afrodisiac
After a break from music, Brandy returned in 2001 with a cover of Phil Collins’ “Another Day in Paradise.” She continued to release albums like “Full Moon” in 2002 and “Afrodisiac” in 2004 both receiving critical acclaim.
In 2005, she left Atlantic Records and released a compilation album called “The Best of Brandy” exploring new opportunities in her career.
Two Eleven
In February 2006, Brandy Norwood joined the UPN sitcom “One on One” playing the sister of Ray J’s character D-Mack. By June she became one of the three judges on the first season of NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” produced by Simon Cowell and hosted by Regis Philbin. The show became a summer sensation concluding with 11-year-old Bianca Ryan’s victory on August 17, 2006. Although Brandy Norwood was set to return for the second season she opted out due to the emotional toll from a tragic car accident she was involved in and was replaced by Sharon Osbourne.
Brandy released her fifth album “Human” in December 2008 under Epic Records marking her debut with the label. The album produced by Toby Gad, Brian Kennedy, and RedOne received favorable reviews but didn’t achieve the commercial success of her earlier works debuting at number fifteen on the Billboard 200 with 73000 copies sold in the first week. Despite her single “Right Here (Departed)” performing well overall sales were lackluster leading to her split from Epic Records.
In December 2009, Brandy Norwood introduced her rapping alter-ego Bran’Nu featuring on Timbaland’s album “Shock Value 2.” She also appeared in the ABC pilot “This Little Piggy” in 2010. That same year she and Ray J starred in VH1’s reality series “Brandy and Ray J: A Family Business” which showcased their family dynamics and business ventures. The series ran for two seasons and led to the release of a compilation album.
In the fall of 2010, Brandy Norwood competed in “Dancing with the Stars” finishing in fourth place. By August 2011, she had signed with RCA Records and Chameleon Records. She also mentored young talents on “Majors & Minors” and appeared on “90210” and “Drop Dead Diva.”
In 2011, Brandy joined the cast of BET’s “The Game” as Chardonnay later becoming a regular. In 2012, she reunited with Monica for the single “It All Belongs to Me” and released her comeback single “Put It Down” featuring Chris Brown. Her sixth album “Two Eleven” was released in October 2012 achieving moderate success.
Brandy Norwood ventured into film in 2013 with Tyler Perry‘s “Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor” and signed with Creative Artists Agency. She also made notable appearances on various TV shows and was honored by the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority in 2014.
Broadway and B7
In 2015, she debuted on Broadway as Roxie Hart in “Chicago” reprising the role multiple times in subsequent years.
Brandy co-executive produced and starred in BET’s sitcom “Zoe Ever After” in 2016 though it was short-lived. She launched her Slayana World Tour but had to cut it short due to exhaustion. Legal battles with Chameleon Entertainment ensued leading to a settlement in 2017.
In 2016, she received the Lady of Soul Award at the Soul Train Music Awards. She joined the cast of Fox’s “Star” in 2018 and collaborated with various artists including a Grammy-nominated duet with Daniel Caesar in 2019.
Brandy’s seventh album “B7” was released in July 2020 marking her first independent project. It received critical acclaim and debuted at number 12 on the Billboard 200. She also participated in a record-breaking Verzuz battle with Monica and performed at the Billboard Music Awards.
Queens and Christmas with Brandy
In 2021, Brandy Norwood became a mentor on “The Voice” and starred in ABC’s music drama series “Queens.” She released a duet with her daughter Sy’Rai for the “Cheaper by the Dozen” soundtrack in 2022 and collaborated with Mariah Carey on a re-imagined version of “The Roof.”
In 2023 Brandy was confirmed as the vocal and executive producer for her daughter Sy’Rai’s debut EP. She released her eighth album “Christmas with Brandy” and starred in Netflix’s Christmas comedy “Best. Christmas. Ever!” Despite the film’s poor reviews, it performed well on the streaming service.
In 2024, Brandy Norwood performed at the Grammy Awards and made a cameo in Ariana Grande‘s music video for “The Boy Is Mine” which was later remixed featuring both Brandy and Monica. She is set to star in the upcoming psychological horror film “The Front Room” expected to be released in September 2024.
Brandy Norwood’s Personal Life
Relationships
In 1996, Brandy Norwood briefly dated Kobe Bryant before he became a Los Angeles Lakers player. She even went to his prom at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore Pennsylvania. She also had a relationship with Wanya Morris the lead singer of Boyz II Men who she described as her first love. Their relationship ended when she was about to turn nineteen. Around the time she was working on her album “Never Say Never” she briefly dated rapper Mase.
During the making of her album “Full Moon” in 2001 Brandy started dating producer Robert “Big Bert” Smith. They kept their relationship secret until February 2002 when Brandy announced she was expecting her first child. After their daughter Sy’rai Iman Smith was born Brandy and Smith separated. In 2004, Smith admitted they were never legally married though they had pretended to be for Brandy’s public image. Brandy later said she saw their relationship as a spiritual commitment but acknowledged the pressure to appear as a role model.
By the following year, Brandy was with NBA player Quentin Richardson of the Los Angeles Clippers. They got engaged in July 2004 but ended things in September 2005. Reports even surfaced that Brandy had a tattoo of Richardson’s face on her back turned into a cat. In 2010, she briefly dated rapper Flo Rida. At the end of 2012, she got engaged to music executive Ryan Press but they called off the engagement in April 2014.
After releasing her seventh album “B7” fans speculated about the song “Bye BiPolar.” Brandy clarified that it’s a metaphor for her love life, not an actual diagnosis. She mentioned struggling with depression and trauma in interviews emphasizing how therapy prayer journaling and meditation helped her overcome these challenges.
I-405 collision
In a tragic event on December 30, 2006, Brandy was involved in a car accident on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. She hit a Toyota driven by Awatef Aboudihaj who later died from her injuries. Reports indicated Brandy was driving at 65 mph and didn’t notice the traffic slowing ahead. Lawsuits followed the accident including a wrongful death lawsuit from Aboudihaj’s parents which was settled out of court. Brandy Norwood expressed remorse and stated the incident deeply changed her life making her more reflective and empathetic.
Brandy Norwood’s Philanthropy
In 1996, Brandy Norwood and her brother Ray J founded the Norwood Kids Foundation. The foundation aims to use performing arts to help young people become more confident disciplined responsible and caring individuals who can positively impact their communities. In 1999, Brandy became UNICEF’s first international youth spokesperson. She supports organizations like the Make-A-Wish Foundation and RAINN. In 2000 Brandy donated $100000 to 2000 WATTS an entertainment center in Watts Los Angeles.
She joined Skechers’ “Nothing Compares to Family” campaign in 2008 and supported Get Schooled in 2010 using celebrity wake-up calls to encourage students to attend school. Brandy Norwood also collaborated with “text4baby” in 2014 to promote health and wellness among expecting mothers via text messages. In 2018, she appeared in a PSA for the American Heart Association and supported Hands-Only CPR.
