Brandy admits she was never married and tells how past pain and new love inspired CD 'Afrodisiac'

Jet, August 9, 2004

Brandy kept up the facade of a liberated divorced woman in numerous interviews as she promoted her new CD Afrodisiac, but recently, she reluctantly admitted she was never married as she claimed.

Brandy's "ex-husband" Robert Smith recently told Power 99, WUSLFM, a New York radio station, that there was never a divorce because there wasn't ever a wedding. He's claiming they never legally married--they just said they were "secretly wed" to preserve Brandy's innocent image when she got pregnant.

Radio personality Wendy Williams asked Smith about his relationship with Brandy. Smith explained, "It wasn't really your ordinary situation." Williams asked, "She got pregnant and you decided to marry or there was pressure to marry?" Smith then answered flatly, "There was never a marriage."

The 25-year-old Brandy expressed nothing but distress when she heard the admission. "I am deeply hurt and shocked by the things that Robert has been saying," Brandy said in a statement. Instead of a legally recognized marriage, she says they "had a spiritual union and true commitment to each other, and we still share a common bond through our (2-year-old) daughter Sy'rai."

She went on to say, "He is not thinking about her, me, or what we had together. He is trying to destroy my reputation, while using me and our daughter to get publicity and radio airplay for his artists. I am stunned that he is being so dirty about it."

Smith, 24, was rounding New York radio stations to introduce a new artist signed to his record label, Big Bert Entertainment. In a statement, he said, "My comments were in no way made to take away any responsibility from Sy'rai emotionally or financially. And in no way am I an irresponsible father. I have recently been granted joint custody of Sy'rai. When breaking off relationships it's always difficult and I prefer not to air our dirty laundry through the media. I was just stating the truth!

"Brandy and I have many things to work out over a long period of time which will hopefully be in a more positive direction."

Through a statement to the public in February 2002, the R&B singer and star of the former hit TV series "Moesha" (1996-2001) revealed to fans she secretly wed Smith in July 2001. She said she met him while working on her third CD Full Moon. He is the cousin of fumed mega-producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins, who produced that album.

"I've fallen in love with a warm, gentle understanding and focused person," she said in the statement then. "This summer we married quietly. A new experience, a new day for me--I couldn't be happier!"

Shortly after the statement, she announced she was expecting. Brandy gave birth to Sy'rai in June 2002, as documented in the MTV program "Diary Presents: Brandy-Special Delivery." The couple "divorced" a year later when Sy'rai was a year old.

At JET press time Brandy did not speak about why the couple pretended to be married, her publicist only offered her released statement.

During an interview with JET from her L.A. home before the disclosure of her "marriage" hoax, Brandy talked about how she channeled many of her past experiences, including her "divorce," into her fourth album Afrodisiac. "Everything is on my album. From my past relationships to this relationship; it's all in song form," Brandy said.

At this point, many fans may not know what to believe. It is evident, however, that Brandy indeed split from Smith. She said after the birth of her daughter she realized she was unhappy in that relationship.

"I just wasn't in love," Brandy explains. "I didn't feel any passion. Basically I didn't have what it takes to keep a marriage together. If your foundation isn't love then you have no business being together. I feel like if you're in love and you're feeling this inseparable feeling toward a person, then you should stay and try to make things work. But if you don't have love and you're just there because you're secure because you're comfortable, that can't make anything work or stay together."

Brandy agonized about leaving because of their daughter.

"The hardest part for me was Sy'rai because she is his daughter as well. That's probably why I lingered a little longer than what I should have.

"But once I was able to decide I don't want her to see me in an unhappy situation, and the best thing for me and for her was to break away, then I felt this crazy freedom. This overwhelming feeling came over me and I knew at that point that was the right thing for me to do. You can't force love; you can't force a situation that's not working. Do I stay because it's what everybody thinks is right to do or do I leave because it's best for me and best for my situation?"

Brandy is proud of her decision and says she has since regained her confidence because she has gained strength. The first song on her new album, Who I Am, immediately hits fans with a blunt narrative of her voyage to contentment.

"I take you through the journey on why I made the decision to leave Robert and why I am where I am right now with [new boyfriend Quentin Richardson]. It's such a great song. It shows you two different people and where I am. I'm proud to be where I am. I never thought I could get here, I thought I had bad luck or something. I wondered if my career was going to be the only thing that's OK. Can I have a personal life, can I get into a relationship where I can still be myself, still be with someone and still be madly in love? Can I ever get to that point?"