FILE – In this May 23, 2018, file pool photo, Cyntoia Brown, a woman serving a life sentence for killing a man when she was a 16-year-old girl, smiles at family members during her clemency hearing at Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville, Tenn. Brown, championed by celebrities as a symbol of unfair sentencing, was released early Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019, from the Tennessee Prison for Women, where she had been serving a life sentence for killing a man who had picked her up for sex at 16. (Lacy Atkins/The Tennessean via AP, Pool, File)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Cyntoia Brown, an inmate recently released on clemency after being given a life sentence at the age of 16, has married recording artist J. Long, formerly associated with the R&B group Pretty Ricky.
Wes Yoder, a representative for Brown-Long, the name she now goes by, confirmed Monday that the two had wed, but declined to provide more details, only saying that more would be revealed in the fall. Brown’s book, “Free Cyntoia,” is scheduled for release Oct. 15 through Atria Books.
Brown-Long was released on probation last week after getting clemency. Her case drew the attention of celebrities like Kim Kardashian West, Rihanna, Snoop Dogg and LeBron James, who lobbied on her behalf.
Brown-Long has said she was a sex trafficking victim at the time she killed a man in 2004. Now 31, Brown will remain on parole for 10 years, on condition that she does not violate any state or federal laws, holds a job and participates in regular counseling sessions, under conditions set by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam.
Pretty Ricky, which originated in Florida, is known for their 2006 single, “Grind With Me,” which hit No. 7 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.
By KRISTIN M. HALL
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