Brandy Norwood has accomplished so much over the years. In addition to being the ESSENCE Fall/Winter 2025 cover star, she’s a Grammy winner. She’s had Barbies made in her likeness at a time when famous Black girls and women weren’t the muses for the popular doll. She’s been a TV star. She’s done it all. But perhaps her proudest role to date is being a mom to her daughter Sy’rai.
Sy’rai has been in the spotlight since she was in the womb, back when her mom had a MTV special preparing for her arrival. And as the years have gone by, mother and daughter have showcased a heartwarming bond, with the “Boy Is Mine” singer previously sharing that they’re “like best friends” and that her little girl, now a grown woman, changed her.
“I strive every day to be the greatest version of myself because of her existence,” she said in 2017 to Fashion Bomb Daily. “I don’t think I would be here today if my daughter didn’t come into my life when I was 23. She made me see what was real and what was not. I am so thankful for her life. And I’m so equipped to be everything she needs me to be for her life because she’s done so much for mine. I’m just gonna keep going and going and keep showing her to never give up on herself.”
And Brandy’s love and support of her daughter has greatly impacted the way Sy’rai sees herself. After dealing with her weight in the public eye, the young beauty opened up about past worries that her mom was “embarrassed” by her size, only to realize her mom was the one always pushing her to love herself, no matter her weight.
“She always was supportive,” Smith said in 2021. “She always knew that I was beautiful. She supported me whether I wanted to lose a lot of weight or not. She always told me that I was beautiful. Always.”
Speaking of beautiful, check out a few beautiful photos of mother and daughter from over the years.
01
01
2003
Brandy in Dior and her daughter Sy’rai during Dior Dance for Life to Benefit the Aaliyah Memorial Fund, a Program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation at Private Residence in Bel Air, California, United States. (Photo by Donato Sardella/WireImage)
02
02
2006
Brandy and daughter Sy’rai during “A Play Day With Barbie” Hosted By Mattel at The Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California, United States. ***Exclusive*** (Photo by Jason Merritt/FilmMagic)
03
03
2007
WASHINGTON – NOVEMBER 11: Singer/Actress Brandy appears with her daughter Sy’rai at the kick off of Pro10 Hair made with Ultima’s New 2008 Hairstyle Collection at the Washington D.C. Convention Center November 11, 2007 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Moses Robinson/WireImage)
04
04
2015
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 30: Sy’rai Iman Smith and mother Brandy Norwood pose at the Opening Night After Party for Brandy’s debut in “Chicago” on Broadway at David Burke fabrick on April 30, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic)
05
05
2022
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 08: Brandy and her daughter Sy’Rai at the Los Angeles H&M Studio at H&M on December 08, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Imagesfor H&M)
06
06
2022
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 26: (L-R) Sy’Rai and Brandy attend the 2022 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 26, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET)
07
07
2022
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 18: Sy’Rai Smith and Brandy Norwood attend H&M x Buy From a Black Woman Holiday Market 2022 at Westfield Century City on December 18, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for H&M & Buy From a Black Woman)
08
08
2024
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 07: (L-R) Sy’Rai Smith and Brandy attend Asia Monet’s album release party at The Catwalk Club on August 07, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Asia Monét )
