“Why am I not like that? Why am I not that size? Why was I made the way I am? And sometimes, I’d feel a little sad, or like she was embarrassed of me. I know many of you still aren’t aware that Brandy has an adult daughter named Sarai, and supposedly, the reason thousands don’t know about her is tied to her weight. Well, her past weight, because Sarai has undergone quite a transformation. But was Brandy ashamed of her daughter’s weight, and did she keep her out of the spotlight because of it? Let’s discuss the weight.”
You know, Brandy had her daughter Sarai back in 2002 with record producer Robert Anthony “Big Bert” Smith. They kept their relationship pretty low-key until Brandy got pregnant, but sadly, they split up about a year after Sarai was born. As Sarai grew up, Brandy hardly ever mentioned her, which got fans wondering why. I mean, sure, some celebs keep their kids out of the limelight to protect them, but with Brandy, it felt like she was keeping Sarai a total secret. One fan even tweeted recently, saying they didn’t even know Brandy had a daughter until like a year ago! And then there’s the talk about Sarai’s weight. Because she’s struggled with that, people started assuming Brandy was hiding her because of it. Personally, I think Brandy just wanted to shield Sarai from all the negativity on social media. But hey, there are others who think Brandy was embarrassed by her daughter’s weight and that’s why she kept her out of the public eye.
Certainly! Without the weight loss videos Sarai has shared, some people might find it hard to believe that she was once overweight, especially if they’ve only known her at her current size. Sarai has been quite open about her journey, sharing bits and pieces along the way. For instance, back in October 2021, she took part in the popular TikTok challenge ‘Wait for Me,’ offering a glimpse into her transformation through several photos taken over a span of months. Then, in November 2022, Sarai went deeper, sharing a video where she bravely talked about her struggle with food during her high school years, her battle with depression, and the rollercoaster of gaining and losing weight. She also touched on feeling like an outsider in her well-known family, turning to work to cope. Eventually, her weight became a serious health concern, leading to a hospitalization. But after shedding the pounds, Sarai found success in modeling and securing brand deals, while also repairing her relationship with her mom.
When it comes to Sarai’s weight loss journey, many people found it difficult to understand why Brandy allowed things to get so out of control, especially given her access to resources that could have helped her daughter. It’s puzzling, considering Brandy’s own struggles with weight gain, which she openly discussed in a video where she admitted to overeating carbs after a long period of avoiding them. She confessed to indulging excessively in pasta and rice, indicating a lack of restraint. Given Brandy’s public persona as someone who prioritizes healthy eating, exercise, and working with personal trainers, her daughter’s weight gain left many fans astonished.
However, some speculate that Brandy’s own battles with severe eating disorders in her teenage years might have influenced her approach to addressing Sarai’s weight issues. In a candid interview on VH1’s Behind the Music in 2012, Brandy revealed her intense desire to be thin during her youth. She admitted to neglecting proper nutrition, engaging in extreme dieting, and resorting to unhealthy practices like using diet pills and purging. Despite achieving success and fame during that time, Brandy emphasized feeling profoundly unhappy, underscoring the idea that external accomplishments don’t guarantee inner contentment. This glimpse into Brandy’s personal struggles suggests a potential reason why she may have been cautious about intervening in her daughter’s weight struggles.
Brandy openly shared that she had dropped from 125 lbs to 105 lbs, admitting to the extreme measure of weighing herself every five minutes to ensure she didn’t gain any weight. She once confided in Oprah that despite the compliments she received for her thin appearance, she felt miserable inside. In 1999, Brandy was hospitalized after her mother found her in a dazed and dehydrated state due to severe malnutrition.
The contrast between Brandy and Sarai’s weight loss struggles is striking. While Brandy faced hospitalization for undereating, Sarai found herself hospitalized due to overeating.
During an appearance on ‘The Real,’ Sarai candidly discussed her weight loss journey when asked about her motivation. She revealed that her decision was heavily influenced by her struggles with health issues while growing up. Recalling those tough times, she said, “I had a lot of health issues when I was at the size that I was. Um, my mom was with me through it all. She witnessed everything, and that’s when I decided to really prioritize my health.”
In another interview on the ‘Just Us’ podcast, Sarai shared a concerning incident from 2020. Initially planning a fun event to showcase her friends’ talents, she found herself feeling inexplicably off-kilter. Eventually, she collapsed from exhaustion after just climbing a flight of stairs. Her worried cousins rushed her to the emergency room, where she received a shocking diagnosis: pre-diabetes, sleep apnea, and severe anemia – all linked to her weight.
This wakeup call prompted Sarai to reassess her approach to health. She came to the realization that she needed to make significant changes to ensure her well-being and longevity. Speaking about the toll of social media scrutiny, she bravely admitted, “And I can tell you for certain that people were really going hard on her because of her weight was never…yeah, it wasn’t…it wasn’t easy, uh, to look at myself.” She also acknowledged the pressures of comparing herself to others, particularly prevalent in today’s social media landscape, where she often found herself feeling insecure and envious of other women.
