Brandy Norwood and Monica Brown each jumped on Instagram yesterday to wish Whitney Houston a posthumous happy birthday.
The legendary singer, who died of a drug overdose in 2012, would have been 54 years old on Wednesday.
Why is this noteworthy?
Why are we writing about the seemingly innocent act of two artists acknowledging someone who has a great influence on their career?
Because the birthday wishes devolved into a reignition of an old feud between Brandy and Monica, culminating in the former going off on an angry rant against all haters on Instagram.
We’ll start with Monica’s message in honor of Houston.
It included a black and white photo of the late superstar, along with the following caption:
Happy Heavenly Birthday Nippy … You still inspire many & touch hearts daily… You will forever be the greatest …. You will forever be missed.
Pretty simple and very sweet.
A few hours later, Brandy shared a collection of photos of herself and Houston, writing a lengthy note alongside it that reads as follows:
Lord have mercy on my soul!!! Happy Born Day Whitney. You live on in me… I can feel your Spirit inside of me and all around me.
My angel, my friend, my fairy God Mother. I love you forever… thank you for trusting me with the torch!!!
I remember every moment with you and I and I will cherish these miraculous moments forever and ever! I love you….
Also pretty simple and very sweet?
Nope, not according to critics who destroyed Brandy for turning Whitney’s birthday into an occasion that celebrates her.
(We’re not sure if we agree with each of the critiques below, but it is rather comical for Brandy to claim Houston passed her the “torch.” Has anyone ever considered Brandy to be the next Whitney Houston?!?)
“There’s a BIG difference in Monica & Brandy’s posts about Whitney today,” wrote one Twitter user. “Only one of them was actually about Whitney.”
Here’s a look at what a few others had to say:
In response to these attacks, Brandy – who starred opposite Houston in a movie version of Cinderella and whose brother starred in the Kim Kardashian sex tape – wrote a long and bitter message to Monica and her supporters.
And we mean LONG and BITTER.
Get comfortable and check it out below:
“Monica needs to really check her evil ass fans.
“It’s so much stuff I can post about the hateful things they say to me… but I will never have time for that. Always thinking something is about her. It’s not!!!!…
“Me and Whitney have nothing to do with anyone but the two of us…we made history and I cared more about being with her than I did about anything else.
“I’m heartbroken that she isn’t here and the things I say about her are my true feelings and based on the things she said to me.
“#Torch is a purpose and it is an understanding to help me get through the fact that she passed period the way she did and passed on my birthday.
“I’m crushed for life because of it. It’s petty for everything that I say about Whitney for someone to have the audacity to think it’s about someone else other than her.”
Brandy went on to suggest Monica stop her fans from attacking her, noting they’re “low key Brand fans anyway” and awesomely adding:
“Come get your hating ass pigeons and put them in their place the way I did for you when the starz was out of place…
“I’m not to be F–ked with today! If this was rap or hip hop you would be praised for speaking your mind but since it’s rnb you have to take the so called high road…
“well because I can rap just look at this as my high road.”
In conclusion, wrote Brandy:
Too real to be fake and because this is my idols birthday, I’m allowed to defend my position in her life and hers in mine. That’s what I have to hold on to.
This is easily our favorite feud of the year, and maybe of the decade.
Whose side are YOU on?!?