Kimberly Wilkins, alias Sweet Brown, rose to fame in 2012 when her candid interview with a local TV station about an apartment fire in Oklahoma City became a viral sensation on YouTube.
Her memorable phrase, “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” inspired a song, a meme, and a lot of laughs from many people. She also got to star in some ads, a TV show, and a movie with Queen Latifah.
She is a case study of how the internet can turn anyone into a star in no time. However, her sudden popularity also came with a cost: she accumulated a lot of debt from trying to keep up with her new lifestyle and expectations. Watch her famous video here.
Net Worth
Her net worth has, over time, varied from thousand to 1 million USD, or so many would speculate. Her primary source of income has remained her appearances in commercials and TV shows.
Asset and Property
Sweet Brown has been known to lead a simple life. She did not use her fame to accrue flashy cars and mansions. Quietly nestled in her humble background, the closest thing to material wealth associated with her is a red Chevrolet Impala.
In it, She would drive around to the market with her homemade barbecue sauce. She would open the trunk and offer samples to customers. No one knows if she still has the car or not. She used to rent a small apartment in Oklahoma City, where she survived a fire, but she left after talking to the media. Her whereabouts are a mystery now.
Career Timeline
In 2012, Sweet Brown broke into the mainstream through a spontaneous interview by local news station KFOR news, Channel 4, following an apartment fire that spread like wildfire on YouTube.
Her candid exclamation, “Ain’t nobody got time for that,” “Oh Lord Jesus, It’s a Fire,” and “I got bronchitis” quickly transcended the boundaries of a mere catchphrase, morphing into a melody, a viral meme, and a beacon of humor that resonated with many across the globe.
Following 2013, she continued to ride the wave of her newfound fame, showcasing her positive impression for entertainment in various local commercials. She lent her genuine appeal to the advertisements of diverse businesses—from legal services (Brian Loncar) to dental care (Shortline Dental) to a real estate agency (18002SellHomes) —to auto businesses (1and2 Automotive) (diversifying her reach.
On the television and film front, Sweets graced the screen in “Cheaters,” a reality show that uncovers infidelity among spouses, boyfriends, and girlfriends. Sweet had shown up as a guest on the show in 2014 and, with her wealth of experience as a senior citizen, confronted a cheating boyfriend.
Sweet was also featured in a role in “A Madea Christmas (2013)” wherein the multi-talented Queen Latifah paid homage to her by reenacting the persona that catapulted her to stardom, this time on the stages of “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
That same year, she tapped into her entrepreneurship, launching a barbecue sauce with the catchy name “Sweet Brown’s Lord Jesus It’s a Fire BBQ Sauce.” Despite the initial buzz, this culinary creation has since vanished from the shelves.
Her journey was not without its challenges; 2013 marked when she was embroiled in a legal battle against tech giant Apple and a radio show.
They faced her for what she claimed was the unauthorized exploitation of her voice and image in the song “I Got Bronchitis.”
The song was produced by KJR’s The Bob Rivers Show, based in Seattle, Washington. This production creatively included samples from Brown’s interview in its composition.
Subsequently, the song was made available for purchase on iTunes, generating revenue in the process. Brown was looking for $15 million in damages.
The controversy arose when the radio station and its owner were accused of misleadingly suggesting that Brown, the individual involved, had authorized the use of her voice in the song.
The legal battle that unfolded over this dispute lasted for an extensive period of six months, ultimately concluding with the lawsuit being dismissed. Sweet faced a legal defeat.
Central to the lawsuit was Wilkins’ allegation of deception. She contended that her voice and likeness were commercially exploited on iTunes without her explicit consent, which she argued was a fraudulent act.
The pivotal moment in the case came when court records revealed that the lawsuit was dismissed due to a failure by Wilkins and another plaintiff to comply with a crucial legal requirement: the submission of disclosures as mandated by U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton.
A disclosure, in legal terms, refers to the process wherein parties involved in a lawsuit are required to share all relevant information and documents pertaining to the case with each other. This procedure is designed to ensure transparency and fairness in the legal process, allowing both sides to have access to the evidence that may affect the outcome of the case. The failure to provide these disclosures can lead to the dismissal of the case, as it hinders the judicial process and prevents the court from making an informed decision.
Judge Heaton’s decision to dismiss the case was made “without prejudice.” This legal terminology indicates that the dismissal does not prevent Wilkins from initiating a new lawsuit on the same grounds in the future, should she choose to pursue further legal action and ensure compliance with all required legal procedures, including the submission of disclosures.
From 2014 onward, the spontaneous brilliance she brought to screens, big and small, diminished. She opted to retreat from the limelight, leaving behind a digital silence where once there was a buzz.
Her current endeavors have folded into obscurity, leaving many to wonder where life has taken the woman who once declared so famously that she had no time to spare.
During a December 2012 interview with HOT 97, she revealed that she was still living in the same apartment that made her famous. “It’s still the same old Sweet. It’s not going to change,” she told the radio station.