8 Tidbits About 'Moesha' That Even The Biggest Fan Probably Doesn't Know
There was a reason why the sitcom Moesha managed to stay on air for six seasons. The quintessential 90s show had all the elements of a great show, including laugh-out-loud moments to relatable life lessons.
The show also featured a star-studded cast, including Brandy, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Countess Vaughn, William Allen Young, Shar Jackson, and Ray J, each of whom brought to the screen something that kept us tuning in every week to find out what happened next.
Unfortunately, the show abruptly ended in its sixth season, leaving fans with no finale and a cliffhanger that even Brandy hasn't gotten over yet. We may never know the rest of the story, but there other details about the show and its actors that are worth knowing.
1. Brandy hated her character's name
In an interview a couple of years ago, Brandy revealed that she wasn't a fan of the name Moesha.
2. Countess Vaughn and Brandy were frenemies
Just like their relationship on the show, Countess Vaughn, who played Moesha's boy-crazy friend, did not get along with Brandy. The situation was so bad that Vaughn left the show. She later reprised her role in the spin-off The Parkers. It took 20 years for Vaughn to issue an apology to which Brandy responded with nothing but nice words.
3. Brandy was the reason why Boyz II Men made a cameo
The boy band performed at Moesha's college during the final season of the show, but they were only on screen for a short time. Turns out, they made it on the show because Brandy was dating one of the members, Wanya Morris. She was even in one of his music videos.
4. There are four versions of the theme song
There's a good chance that you didn't notice the difference, but the first three seasons of the show each had slightly different theme songs. It wasn't until the fourth season that a permanent melody was decided on.
5. Two of Moseha's boyfriends died in real life
Unfortunately, some of the show's cast members suffered tragic fates in the early 2000s. Merlin Santana, who played Moesha's first boyfriend O'Hajj, was fatally shot in 2002. Three years later, Lamon Bailey, the actor behind Hakeen Campbell died in a car crash.
6. Another cast member also died recently
Yvette Wilson, who played Moesha's friend, Andell Wilkerson, died from Stage 4 cancer in 2012.
7. Moesha's mom quit the show
Sheryl Lee Ralph, the actress who played Moesha's mom, left the show after she didn't like the storyline of one of the episodes, "Secrets & Lies." In the episode it was revealed that Dorian, played by Ray J, was a bastard child.
She went on to make occasional appearances on the show, but gave up her role as a recurring character.
8. The Parkers was supposed to give us an ending
The show was abruptly cancelled after the sixth season and many of the plot lines, like the positive pregnancy test found in Moesha's dorm room, didn't have clear endings. Turns out, the producers were going to conclude the story on The Parkers, but that never happened.
Brandy told The Guardian a few years later that even she doesn't know how the story ends.
"I don't know, and I'm on the cliffhanger with y'all! I hate the way Moesha ended, it was so wrong doing it that way because people took the journey in those six years and people were attached to those characters. To do that … I don't think was right."