Toni Braxton May Face Legal Action, Here’s Why

The city of Annapolis, Maryland is not happy with Toni Braxton. The “Unbreak My Heart” singer was set to be the first recipient of the Maryland Walk of Fame star in Annapolis. The Severn, Maryland native was supposed to have received the circular bronze star in September 2024. In a recent update, Ruby Blakeney, executive director for the organization, told The Baltimore Sun it will “no longer be honoring [Braxton] with a star” because the singer “walked away.”  Blakeney said the star was already created and paid for before the singer backed out. The reason for Braxton’s decision to back out of the ceremony is unknown.

Blakeney told the local news outlet that the plan is to follow a model similar to the Walk of Fame in Hollywood, which charges $75,000 for the creation, maintenance and installation of the star, per the group’s web site, but that it would cost “much less” for a star on the Maryland Walk of Fame, although she didn’t give a specific dollar amount.

Now, legal action is being considered against the R&B songstress. In Braxton’s absence, Blakeney said the Maryland Walk of Fame will honor a different recipient, although the person has not been named publicly. 

Braxton has dealt with legal issues throughout her career. She famously filed for bankruptcy twice, the first in 1998, and the second in 2010.

In her first bankruptcy, she sued her record label, LaFace, claiming she was left penniless despite selling millions of albums worldwide. The label was later forced to pay her $20 million, and she was forced to stay quiet about the terms of the settlement under a gag order for 10 years. In her second bankruptcy, Braxton had to quit her popular Las Vegas residency when she was diagnosed with lupus, and she couldn’t afford to pay out the contract. The bankruptcy was settled in 2013.