Foxy Brown, whose real name is Inga Marchand, is nearly deaf according to her lawyer, who made the announcement after a court appearance on Monday.
Attorney Joseph Tacopina made the revelation at Manhattan Criminal Court after he was seen passing notes with the rapper in court, reports the New York Daily News.
“She’s pretty much totally deaf now,” Tacopina said. “She can’t hear me. We have to write things back and forth. Anything I have to communicate with her now has to be written. It’s dialogue, communication.”
The Def Jam artist has already undergone one surgical procedure to relieve her hearing loss and is expected to have another to help restore her ability to listen. “Hopefully it is reversible. She has to undergo another surgery,” Tacopina said.
Earlier this year, Brown revealed she suffers from a rare condition called sudden sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. “I started breaking down in tears and screaming and I couldn’t even hear myself scream,” she explained to People magazine. “I know God is working on me. I’m on a personal journey. I believe God wants to be the only voice I hear right now. I know I will be all right.”
In addition to her health condition, Foxy Brown must contend with her legal status, where the 25 year old stands charged with misdemeanor assault, attempted assault and harassment.
Brown is accused of punching and kicking two employees of a nail salon after they allegedly refused to let her leave the salon without paying her bill. According to the Daily News, Judge Melissa Jackson adjourned the case until December 23. Brown has steadfastly maintained her innocence and rejected two plea deals that would have kept her out of jail.
Brown reportedly turned down the deals to avoid a criminal record and to circumvent a costly civil suit.
Brown’s highly anticipated album, Black Roses, is expected to hit stores in 2006 in spite of her legal and health matters.
