October 25, 2007 20:10

Foxy Brown's punitive segregation due to 'misunderstanding'

Her bad hearing apparently caused the rapper's punishment

Foxy Brown’s hearing is apparently to blame for her separation from other inmates at Rikers Island prison.

As previously reported, Brown was sentenced to 76 days in solitary confinement, which will see her spend 23 hours a day alone in a cell.

Brown’s punishment was doled out after she allegedly refused to take a drugs test, was verbally abusive to a prison officer and was involved in a scuffle with another inmate.

However, her manager Chaz Williams today told Billboard that Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, simply did not hear the request for a drugs test, and by the time she realised what she was being asked, disciplinary action was being taken.

Nor was there any physical violence between her and other inmates, Williams explains: "There was an incident where a girl attempted to confront her and she stood her ground, but there wasn't any contact. Words were exchanged and that was it."

Brown is in jail after violating probation which stemmed from an assault on two workers at a Bloomies nail salon in Chelsea, New York.

The rapper has also recently been in trouble for assault in Florida, traffic violations in New Jersey and assault in Brooklyn. Since being incarcerated, Brown was reportedly late for a court appearance because she was applying make-up and changing her outfit. She also reportedly refused to get on a prison bus because she wanted lunch first. These incidents are also being blamed on her hearing problem.

Brown was diagnosed with loss of hearing in December 2005, but after treatment she was able to resume her music career.

--By our New York staff.
[url="/about"]Find out more about NME.[/url]