Brandy Faces $50 Million Civil Suit

A Los Angeles Superior Court official has confirmed to The Showbuzz that a wrongful death suit has been filed against singer Brandy Norwood by the parents of a woman who died in a car crash involving the singer last month.

The parents of Awatef Aboudihaj are claiming both compensatory and punitive damages in the amount of $50 million.

The California Highway Patrol recommended Monday that the actress-singer, who goes by her first name professionally, be charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter in the freeway crash that killed Aboudihaj last month, a city attorney's spokesman said.

The CHP referred the matter to the city attorney's office for review, said spokesman Nick Velasquez.

"The office is currently reviewing the case and determining whether the evidence warrants the filing of a misdemeanor charge of vehicular manslaughter," Velasquez said.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of one year in county jail and a $1,000 fine, Velasquez said.

Prosecutors couldn't say when they would make a decision about whether to bring a case. If charged, Brandy wouldn't necessarily have to appear in court and could have her lawyer enter a plea, Velasquez said.

Brandy's publicist, Courtney Barnes, issued a statement to CBS News: "She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased."

But Bill Sayed, attorney for the victim's husband said the victim's family expects more.

"The apology came 20 days after the fact if not longer, and it was by the publicist and not by Brandy Norwood herself," he said.

TMZ reported last week that a car crash involving the R&B singer occurred at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 30, 2006, on the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. The report said that Brandy Norwood was driving her Land Rover at 65 mph and didn't realize that the cars in front of her were moving at a much slower rate.

TMZ reported that the singer's vehicle hit a 2005 Toyota, which then hit a 1989 Toyota. The 2005 Toyota slid sideways into the center divider and was hit by a 1988 Acura. Aboudihaj, 38, a Los Angeles mother of one, was the driver of the 2005 Toyota. She was taken to Holy Cross Hospital and died the next day.

"That impact caused the vehicle to reverse or to rebound from the center divider wall into the number two lane still facing north-northwest where it was struck by an Acura," said Steve Padilla of California Highway Patrol.

Aboudihaj, a Los Angeles waitress, died at a hospital from blunt-force injuries, according to the coroner's office.

Sayed said he supported the CHP's recommendation.

Brandy, whose real name is Brandy Norwood, was not injured or arrested, and there was no evidence of drug or alcohol use, TMZ reported.

In a statement sent to The ShowBuzz on Jan. 24, Brandy's representative, Courtney Barnes, said: "Brandy was involved in a car accident Dec. 30, 2006, in Los Angeles where there was a fatality. She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased. Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time."

When asked why the public hadn't heard about the accident until nearly a month after it happened, a rep for Brandy said that her agency didn't know about it until today and called the accident "quite devastating."

Brandy, who earned a Grammy in 1999, has made five albums. She began her recording career at 14 and acted for film and television, starring on the sitcom "Moesha" from 1996-2001 and most recently as a judge for NBC's "America's Got Talent."