In 1999, ABC aired the made-for-television film, Double Platinum, starring Diana Ross alongside Brandy. The film was a tale of a famous mother who abandoned her infant child and an unsupportive husband for a life on the road, only to return 18 years later in hopes of reconciliation.
The film was Brandy’s third, and a Neilsen’s ratings hit. Brandy, juggling multiple hats at the time, learned a much bigger lesson from the Motown icon that she still carries today.
In her memoir Phases, Brandy writes that production on the film primarily centered around Ross’ schedule. At the time, Ross had wrapped a tour overseas, missed the Thanksgiving holiday stateside, and as a result, only agreed to shoot the film in New York – versus Los Angeles or Canada for sound stages and budget reasons – so that she could travel back home to Connecticut every night to be with her two youngest children. Ross also refused to miss Christmas, insisting the film be completed ahead of the holiday.
The studio, ABC, agreed. Typically, a movie of that stature would take 20 days to complete. They were given a timeline of 17 days, 14 of which included overlapping scenes that featured both of them together.
Brandy was excited to do the film and learned much more than she’d anticipated by observing Ross. The Moesha star was 19 at the time and reveals she was burned out from the grueling schedule of shooting a successful television show while balancing a music career, films, performances, interviews, photoshoots, and everything in between. Her career had taken off and wasn’t slowing down. Afraid of losing momentum, she admits she said “yes” to everything, no matter how tired she was.
“She had boundaries,” Brandy writes. “Firm, clear, nonnegotiable boundaries. She’d toured the world over, crossing oceans and continents. Headlines stages from Vegas to Tokyo, commanding audiences of thousands with a flick of her wrist. And still, she chose home. She carved out space to be a mother. When we finished Double Platinum, she would be going back to her home to celebrate the holidays with her family. It was the first time I’d seen a woman at that level of power and fame have a firm boundary around work. And she did it without guilt or apology.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Jul 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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