Looks like it's bad things that come in threes for Brandy.
The recently deposed America's Got Talent judge has been slapped with a third wrongful-death lawsuit stemming from a Dec. 30 car crash that resulted in the death of 38-year-old wife and mother Awatef Aboudihaj and caused major injuries to several other motorists.
In the months since the fatal, chain-reaction smash—in which Aboudihaj's vehicle was rear-ended into oncoming traffic—lawsuits have been filed against the Grammy winner both by the victim's parents and on behalf of her two children, who were also present in the vehicle and who, per court documents, may have suffered permanent damage from the crash.
Now, Aboudihaj's husband is getting in on the legal action, filing suit Wednesday in Los Angeles Superior Court against Brandy (whose last name is Norwood) and other motorists involved in the accident.
The lawsuit specifically names the entertainer and Mallory Ham, the 50-year-old who broadsided Aboudihaj's car while attempting to dodge another vehicle that had careened into her lane. The plaintiff, Maroune Hdidou, says up to 25 unidentified other drivers may have been involved. (View the court documents here.)
The widower claims that the drivers were "traveling too fast for conditions" at the time and were also "following too closely," which resulted in the fatal injuries to his late wife.
Hdidou's wrongful-death and vehicle negligence complaint seeks unspecified damages from the defendants, including medical and funeral expenses, legal fees and a litany of other punitive damages.
Prior to the tragedy, Hdidou claims Aboudihaj was a "faithful and dutiful" wife and is thus requesting additional damages to compensate for the deprivation of "support, maintenance, solace, moral support, companionship and comfort" that his spouse provided him.
Hdidou is following the lead of the rest of his grieving family.
On Feb. 8, a separate wrongful-death lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on behalf of Mrwan Mohamed, 14, and Kareem Mohamed, 10, Aboudihaj's children, who were in the car with their mother when the vehicle was bumped into oncoming traffic on Los Angeles' 405 freeway.
The lawsuit alleges that Brandy was directly responsible for the crash and that the boys are facing a lifetime of emotional strife over losing their mother. The boys' attorney, Paul N. Phillips, requested that damages be determined by the court.
Aboudihaj's parents, meanwhile, were able to put a price on their grief: $50 million.
On Jan. 30, the victim's Morocco-based parents, Aboudihaj Ahmed and Labridi Zohra, sought as much in compensatory and punitive damages.
As it is, the California Highway Patrol recommended to prosecutors in February that the 28-year-old star be charged with misdemeanor manslaughter for sparking the multicar accident, but charges have yet to be filed. The count carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Brandy has maintained a low profile since the accident, refusing to make any public comments, aside from a brief statement in January, when word of the accident hit the press.
"She wishes to publicly express her condolences to the family of the deceased," publicist Courtney Barnes said. "Brandy asks that you respect the privacy of everyone involved at this time."
Then last month, it was announced that she would be replaced by Sharon Osbourne for the upcoming second season of NBC's America's Got Talent.
"Brandy has enjoyed her association with the program," NBC said in a statement. "However, she felt she couldn't give the new season the attention and commitment it deserved."