Toni Braxton

Toni Braxton is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and actress. Braxton was raised alongside her five siblings in Severn, Maryland. She began singing in church and later attended Bowie State University with plans to become a teacher before deciding to pursue music professionally.

Braxton started her career in the early ’90s as part of The Braxtons with her sisters. She was discovered by producers L.A. Reid and Babyface, who signed her to LaFace Records. Her self-titled debut album was released in 1993 and became a commercial success, earning her three Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist.

She followed up with multiple successful albums including Secrets (1996), The Heat (2000), Libra (2005) and Spell My Name (2020). Some of her best-known singles to date include “You Mean the World to Me,” “You’re Makin’ Me High” and “Long As I Live.”

In addition to her music career, Braxton has acted on Broadway, making her debut in the 1998 production of Beauty and the Beast. She’s also made many small screen appearances, first landing a role in the 2001 TV movie Kingdom Come. She later produced and starred on the reality TV show Braxton Family Values, which aired from 2011 to 2020.

Braxton married musician Keri Lewis in 2001. They welcomed two sons, Denim (born in 2001) and Diezel (born in 2003), before divorcing in 2013. She later began an on-and-off relationship with rapper Birdman, and the couple got engaged in 2018. In April 2025, it was revealed that they quietly tied the knot in 2024, and Braxton filed for divorce two weeks later. The filing was later dismissed.