Brandy opens up about body image amid social media discourse
Grammy-winning singer and actress Brandy is clearing the air around the recent discourse about her appearance.
In an Instagram post over the weekend, the "I Wanna Be Down" singer and star of the beloved 1997 version of "Cinderella," 47, shared a lengthy statement about body image, beauty standards and self-acceptance.
"I've learned that it takes only a moment to form an opinion about someone's appearance, and a lifetime to understand what they've lived through," the message said, in part.
"So may we become gentler with one another. Not because everyone is fragile, but because everyone is carrying a story we cannot see," she continued. "Our words have weight. Our judgments have weight. Our kindness does too."
Brandy is one of the latest celebrity women to address the topic in recent years. Rebel Wilson, Drew Barrymore, Billie Eilish, Demi Lovato, Meghan Trainor and many others have opened up about their experience.
'You are looking at someone's child'
Brandy's message in particular came after she was honored by her hometown of McComb, Mississippi, for her career achievements earlier this month. Photos from the event began circulating, prompting comments about her weight on social media.
In her Instagram post, Brandy touched on how she grew out of outside perception: "I've stopped trying to earn my reflection. I've stopped asking the mirror to tell me who I am. I know who I am. And that knowing has given me a freedom no opinion could ever take away."
In the message, she urged people to think before judging others' appearance.
"Before you speak about someone's body, before you speak about someone's face, before you decide who they are by what you see, remember, you are looking at someone's child. Someone's friend. Someone's dream. Someone's life. A soul," the singer and actress continued. "And souls have always been more beautiful than surfaces."
Brandy recently performed with fellow R&B songstress Monica at the Essence Festival in New Orleans over the Fourth of July weekend. The magazine also gave the singer the ESSENCE Black Women in Music Legend Award.
She snagged a spot on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in March and released her headline-making memoir, "Phases" the same month.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Unlimited Use: Brandy opens up about body image amid social media discourse
Reporting by Taylor Ardrey, USA TODAY / USA TODAY Unlimited Use
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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 3:42 PM.