Almost two years after the release of The New Edition Story, BET has returned with its follow up, chronicling the life of legendary group member, Bobby Brown.
Everything you could have ever wanted to know about the “Bad Boy of R&B” is answered in this two part-mini series, which kicked off tonight.
Actor Woody McClain reprises his role as Brown in the biopic and his performance is leaving us cheering. And while we’re still trying to piece together our edges after they were snatched during part one, here’s some of the tea that we learned (or may have forgotten).
Brown was in love with Janet Jackson
His ex-wife Whitney Houston wasn’t the first R&B princess that Brown gave his heart to. While the love may not have been mutual, we learned that Janet Jackson first captured his attention. Brown showered her with love and gifts, but the fling turned sour quickly, because she just wasn’t that into him. In The Bobby Brown Story, we learned that Brown believed his darker skin complexion was the reason why the Jackson family would not allow Jackson to be with him. In a rage one night after sex, Brown exploded. In the film, he kicked her out of the hotel room that they shared — naked and all — and slammed the door in her face. That was the end of Brown and Jackson as we know it.
Brown witnessed his childhood best friend get murdered
Brown’s story is certainly one of adversity and perseverance. Growing up in the housing projects of Boston, Brown had to fight for his life literally. One day in a dispute after school, a fist-fight escalated to the fatal stabbing of his best friend.
Robin was the third wheel in his relationship with Whitney
Annette Brown/BET
We all knew Houston’s best friend Robin Crawford lingered in the background as she was the singer’s assistant. And while the former friend, confidant and rumored lover was always in the picture — even after Houston and Brown’s relationship blossomed — we never quite knew the extent. The film depicts Crawford as the cling-on friend, who just didn’t know when to leave even though she was empowered by Houston to stay. It’s no surprise that in his biopic, we see Brown reach his boiling point, engaging in a fall out with his then-wife.
His mother sold drugs
From the looks of things, Brown’s relationship with drugs started way before he met Houston — but not in the way that you may think. Surprising to some, Brown learned the ins and outs of the street life from the matriarch of his home, his own mother. Carole Brown — depicted by actress Sandi McCree — sold drugs to support and take care of her family when they fell on hard times. Brown also recounted in his book Every Little Step: My Story that he was initially unaware his mother sold cocaine to support the family. It was later that Brown would also turn to a life of drugs — both selling and using — when he also fell on hard times.
The men that killed his sister’s fiancé really wanted Bobby dead
By no fault of his own, Brown became a target in his hometown (and even across the country) once he rose to fame. He was the “bad guy” after all. While he and his future brother-in-law were leaving a bar late one night, the biopic showed that the two later became victims of a drive-by shooting. While Brown left the scene unscathed, his sister’s fiancé — who had just expressed and proclaimed his love for his bride-to-be — was not so lucky. Seemingly once again, trouble seemed to follow Brown.