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Novi Brown, best known for her role as Sabrina Hollins on Tyler Perry’s Sistas, finds her place as a black woman through art and various aspects of her life. Born in Berlin, Germany, she often felt displaced. Today she’s cultivated an engaging audience through Instagram and her youtube channel, Naturally Lit, where she showcases her various interests and provides hair tips for Black women who embrace their natural hair. Novi sat down with SHEEN Magazine to discuss the beauty of seeing herself in black women, hobbies and more!

Tell us about yourself and how Sistas has impacted you…

I’m excited. This is my first big series. So I’m really happy, and it’s funny because I used to take my mom to see Tyler Perry plays on Mother’s Day at the Beacon Theater in New York City. So it’s an incredible full-circle moment for me. So many black women on screen, and that we’re in the middle of this Renaissance right now, so I’m just really grateful.

I’m very much an advocate for black women on screen, and I would never have guessed that would have been part of a sister circle, you know? I was born in Berlin because my mom spent a lot of time there. And so, as a black girl who felt displaced a lot of her life, it’s cool to find me in a creative space where I see a version of who I am. And other women like me or young girls, like me, can see themselves, too.

Do you all have a best friend relationship outside of the show?

We’re definitely cool. Some of us vacation together. I’ve been to, I don’t know how many baby showers and parties and all of those things. So, yeah, we definitely spend as much time as we possibly can together. We try to have her little girls trip stuff like that.

We met right before covid happened. And then the show happened, and then covid happened. So, it was really an interesting situation for us. We couldn’t rehearse the way we wanted to rehearse anymore. We had just started going out altogether, going to New Orleans and different places to hang out, and just getting to know each other, but then the world shut down. So yeah, we’re becoming even closer because we’re growing up in this thing – doing it together. Sistas is all of our first big show. So it’s very special. I love it.

I see you have an interest in astrology. Can you tell us about that?

Oh, yeah, man. Astrology is, you know, it’s in the tombs of our Ancestors. So I love it as a tool to tap into the universe, just like any other way you speak to the abstract world, you know, like the fourth wall, right? However, I studied astrology and was skeptical, just like everybody else. I’m a Scorpio, and everybody loves to talk negatively about Scorpios. So I was just like, that’s not true. I’m not like that. Get out of here, but then I started diving into it more. 

I’m a nerd. I’ve always been into books, writing and just researching, knowing more about the human experience. And when I started reading complete strangers, and they were beginning to resonate with what I was saying, I was like, okay, something is happening here. I think everybody’s heard of their zodiac sign, and it’s just an excellent way to connect with strangers.

What can we expect from Sabrina in this new season? 

Listen, Sabrina is single. She’s dating. She’s not married. She’s not engaged. So I don’t know what y’all want from her. Okay, she’s out here, living her best life, and you know, people don’t want to see black women out here dating. She’s really dating. She’s in a place where she does not have children. She has only herself to worry about. So definitely expect more lovers to pop over her reality.

Can you give us a little exclusive?

I will say that the African fanbase will be happy.

If you’re as curious as we are, tune in to Sistas on Wednesdays at 9 PM ET. 

Catch with Sabrina on Instagram: @iamnovibrown

 

Photos courtesy of Novi Brown