Brown and Etheredge first met in the late ’80s, not long after he was ousted from the hit R&B group New Edition. As she remembers “He was fun and crazy and full of energy,” she says. Interjects Brown, who chuckles thinking back on his “bad boy” persona: “I was full ofsomething.”
The two formed a platonic friendship at the time that lasted decades. After his split from Houston in 2007, Etheredge-Brown says she noticed that the spark within him had died.
She tells PEOPLE, “He was in a pretty sad place. I saw him dealing with heartbreak. I saw him fighting to get back to his music and to what he loves.”
Brown recalls living out of his car at the time. In his despair, the two began working together and it wasn’t long until sparks began to fly. The pair married in 2012 and have welcomed three children together:Cassius, 13, Bodhi, 6, andHendrix, 5.
But they’ve also carried the burden of living in the shadow of Brown’s previous marriage to late superstarWhitney Houston. As they near their 10-year anniversary, Etheredge-Brown says she’s long since arrived at a place of understanding and contentment when it comes to the memory of Houston and Brown’s never-ending connection to the late star.
While the pair is bringing cameras into their home for the 12-episode reality series, Brown set out clear parameters. “There’s certain times we can be filmed and certain times that you’ve got to cut the cameras off,” he says.
Etheredge-Brown says of their new show, “We walked into it of course with caution. We’ve been approached a few times, but A&E gave us the privilege to produce and have a say in what we’re doing. We’re really proud of it.”
A main focus of the series will be Brown’s kids, including adult son Landon and daughter LaPrincia from previous relationships. “It’s rewarding, but so exhausting,” Brown says of fatherhood, especially with his littlest ones.
Still, he adds, “My kids are just everything to me.”
source: people.com
