Brandy speaks out after abruptly leaving the stage during one of the first stops on her first headlining tour with Monica.
The 46-year-old singer apologized to her fans in a statement shared on Instagram, referring to the “abrupt end” of her concert with Monica in Chicago on Saturday, October 18.
“After weeks of nonstop rehearsals, last night I felt dehydrated and wanted to pass out,” she wrote, adding that “everyone involved agreed that prioritizing my well-being was of the utmost importance.”
According to videos shared on social media, Brandy abruptly left the Chicago concert early, leaving Monica to take the stage solo. The evening would have ended before the duo performed “The Boy Is Mine,” the 1998 hit that gives their tour its name.
“Monica came out, monologued, sat down, sang and left,” one fan wrote on X. “No goodbye, no nothing. The screen went dark. The lights came on and they told us to get out.”
Videos from the show showed Brandy appearing to face technical difficulties before her release, remarking that “the sound is weird”.
In her Instagram statement, Brandy said she tried to perform the concert “all out even though she wasn’t feeling well,” but noted that “with some adjustments and the show being very technical, unfortunately it was impossible to fully connect sonically with the production.”
She added that she went straight from the arena to see a doctor and “took appropriate precautions moving forward.” Brandy plans to return to the stage “stronger and more grateful than ever” tonight for a show in Indianapolis.
The boy is (still) theirs: Brandy and Monica reunite for The Boy is Mine tour
Brandy attends the Hollywood Walk of Fame star ceremony for Jenifer Lewis on July 15, 2022, in Los Angeles.
Brandy and Monica announced their first headlining tour in June and kicked it off October 16 in Cincinnati. Following their Oct. 19 show in Indianapolis, the duo will then head to Nashville before returning to Chicago for another show on Saturday, Oct. 25.
The tour is scheduled to conclude on December 14 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Brandy previously spoke out in 2022 after suffering a health issue due to “dehydration and low amounts of nutrition,” she said. “To my beloved family, friends and stars, thank you for sending me love and lighting my path,” she wrote on social media at the time, adding that she was “following doctors orders and getting the rest I need.”
Contributor: Taijuan Moorman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brandy speaks out as she abruptly leaves stage at Chicago concert
