Orlando Brown says he’s done with drugs and is ready to give his life to God.
Footage recently surfaced of Orlando giving a testimony at a church in Texas telling the congregation that he has turned his life around after previously heading into a downward spiral after experimenting with drugs.
The 32-year-old started out by telling everyone his name and saying that they may recognize him “from a little show called ‘That’s So Raven.'”
He went on to state that he dabbled in drugs, including crystal meth, and also had an unhealthy addiction to the internet.
“I went through a lot, ya know,” Brown said. “I experimented with crystal meth, with weed. I didn’t know what I was doing. I had an addiction to the internet. All kinds of stuff.”
Orlando then talked about how his life changed after joining the church, and thanked the members for accepting him for who he is.
“My fiancée told me about this place and when I came it was amazing,” he explained. “I had a blast, these brothers accepted me for who I am.”
“I got a whole team of brothers now,” he added. “The church is lovely. All the leaders are brilliant, their geniuses and men of God.”
Brown, who has had a very public struggle with drugs and his mental health over the years, tells The Christian Post that he’s looking forward to graduating from Rise Discipleship, which is a free 6-month in-patient recovery program run by Rise Church in Abilene, Texas for men struggling with addiction, homelessness and other issues.
The Rise Discipleship website explains: “We help not only those who struggle with drugs and alcohol, but also those who battle depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. Every RISE student will be given a biblical foundation that will assist in character building and the leadership development to approach life in a new light.”
Brown declined to do an extended interview while on his journey with the program, but he did tell the CP that he’s due to graduate in November and “it’s definitely been a great process.”
Brown’s battle with drugs made headlines in February 2016 after he was arrested in Torrance, California and charged with domestic battery, obstruction of justice, drug possession with intent to sell, and possession of contraband in jail after he beat up his girlfriend in the parking lot of a police station.
A few months later, he released a bizarre music video threatening Harvey Levin and accusing Raven Symone of aborting their baby.
(FYI: Brown was previously arrested in 2007 after he was pulled over for driving a friend’s car with the headlights off and police found weed in the vehicle. He was arrested again in 2011 for DUI while his pregnant girlfriend was in the car.)
Brown was arrested again in January 2018 in Barstow, California following a family disturbance in which Brown, his girlfriend, and his girlfriend’s mom got into a verbal argument that got very heated.
He and the GF’s mom were both taken into custody after police found out they both had outstanding warrants, with Brown’s being a result of him failing to appear in court for his 2016 case.
After he was released from jail in Barstow, he ran into legal trouble once again after failing to appear for a scheduled court case and another warrant for issued for his arrest. He was eventually arrested on April 13th, 2018 by bounty hunters in Las Vegas who found him hiding in the closet of a private homeowner.
Nearly two months later, on June 5th, Brown arrested by Las Vegas police at a hotel known for prostitution and illegal drug sale and use.
Police said they found Brown on the building’s roof after security cameras showed him entering the building without permission.
While searching him, police found him in possession of methamphetamine and a pipe, and on top of that, they discovered he had another outstanding warrant for his arrest in relation to an unresolved domestic battery charge.
He was charged with drug possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and resisting arrest. His mugshot showed off his new Raven Symone chest tattoo.
Several months later, in September 2018, Brown’s friends and family staged an intervention to urge him to get help.
After a two-week stint in rehab, he was spotted in October walking around a random neighborhood barefoot with a box of wine.
That same year, Brown also made an appearance on “Dr. Phil” making statements that pointed to a very unhealthy mental state, including an outrageous claim that he was Michael Jackson’s son and that his real name is “Orlando Brown Prince Michael Jackson.”
Back in January of this year, Brown made an outlandish claim on Instagram that Nick Cannon once performed oral sex on him while addressing on woman. Cannon denied the claim, calling it “f**king hilarious!!!!” and urging for “better support systems for our youth.”
“I watched various of this young brothers videos and all I see is a cry out for help. So I don’t know if there are any real leaders or solid individuals in this young man’s life but let’s embrace him and tighten him up so he doesn’t become another lost victim to these Hollywood circumstances,” Cannon wrote on Instagram at the time.
In April, Brown claimed that Will Smith raped him when he was a child and that Michael Jackson set the whole thing up.
But now that Brown has found Jesus, with the help of Rise Church, he’s ready to put all of that behind him and live for Christ.
“I can tell you that I’m OK. I’m alive. I was in an unsafe position and it has been shaky but at the end of the day all I can tell you is I’m OK and I’m graduating and I will be getting married,” he said.
Jubal Elrod, whom Brown describes as the “home overseer,” says Brown has done a complete 180 and he’s proud of the man Brown has become.
“He’s completely turned around. He got on this like in his third week, hit it like a man. Now he’s leading classes. He’s actually overseeing discipline and teaching other brothers how to get through it. I’m super proud of you man, proud of you Orlando,” Elrod said Thursday at a fundraising event for the home, which was streamed live on Facebook and is the same event where Brown shared his testimony.
Rise Church founder and senior pastor Ray Sandoval echoed Elrod’s pride in Brown’s progress in the program.
“My student Orlando Brown giving his testimony at Rise Church for the Rise Home rally. Proud of you my bro,” Sandoval wrote in tweet on Sunday.
