# Tabitha Brown (actress)

Tabitha Bonita Brown (née Thomas; born February 4, 1979) is an American actress, Emmy winning host, social media personality, entrepreneur, & author. She creates online video content incorporating veganism, humor and motivational speaking. Brown has over 5 million followers on TikTok and over 4.2 million followers on Instagram as of March 2023. She has been described by HuffPost as "America's Mom" and her content has been characterized by critics as being "comforting" and "calming". She is the host of the Food Network’s first plant-based cooking competition It’s CompliPlated and host of the Emmy winning YouTube children’s show Tab Time.
Born in North Carolina, Brown studied fashion briefly before leaving school to pursue acting. After developing chronic pain and fatigue, Brown switched to a vegan diet to help with relief. She created her TikTok account in 2020 and began amassing followers shortly thereafter.
Brown has appeared in television shows such as The Chi and Good Morning America. In 2021, Brown was awarded the Outstanding Social Media Personality title at the NAACP Image Awards. Her first book, Feeding the Soul (because it's my business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love and Freedom, was published the same year, and she published her first cookbook, Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations, the next. In 2023, she won the Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Host.

## Early life and career
### 1979–2007: Early years and career beginnings

Brown was born in Eden, North Carolina. She grew up in Stoneville. She began studying fashion design at Miami International University of Art & Design, but dropped out at age 19 and moved to Laguna Niguel, California. After struggling financially, she returned to North Carolina, this time moving to Greensboro, where she lived for five years.
In 2002, Brown got a job as the co-host of a local late-night show, where she interviewed celebrities who performed at Greensboro Coliseum Complex. In 2004, with husband in tow, she moved back to Los Angeles where she tried stand-up comedy. After failing to land as a TV actress, Brown spent five years working at a Macy's in Century City. Six months after the move to California, Brown began traveling between North Carolina and Los Angeles to care for her mother who had developed ALS.

### 2008–2016: Acting and performance hiatus

Brown had spent three years taking care of her mother. Following her mother's death in 2007, Brown began her career acting small roles in several indie films and direct-to-video films. Brown subsequently developed chronic pain and fatigue and could not work for a year. Brown was introduced to veganism after her daughter had suggested adopting it to help with her recovery.

### Social media breakthrough

In late 2017, Brown was running out of disability insurance funds, which led to her becoming an Uber driver in October 2017, in order to make ends meet as a "struggling" part-time actress. Her video review from December 2017 of a Whole Foods Market vegan BLT sandwich went viral, after which the company hired her as a brand ambassador to travel the country. In early March 2020, she created a TikTok account on which she began sharing vegan recipes, cooking tips, family moments, and encouraging advice, amassing 2 million followers in the space of five weeks. Brown had also been broadcasting live cooking shows and product reviews on Facebook live since early 2018.

### TV and publishing

In late April 2020, Brown was signed to Creative Artists Agency. In late June 2020, she began hosting All Love on Ellen Digital Network. In 2021, Brown hosted the YouTube Original children's show Tab Time. The same year, she launched a hair care line named "Donna's Recipe" after her name for her afro, and she published her first book, Feeding the Soul (because it's my business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love and Freedom, which became No. 1 on The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2022, she launched a clothing collection with Target Corporation and appeared on Good Morning America.
In 2022, William Morrow published Brown's debut cookbook Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations. VegNews listed it as one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024. It was featured on NPR and Good Morning America. Essence magazine reported Brown went on a two-week book tour that ended with a final appearance at the Regent Theatre in Los Angeles. Journalist Avery Yale Kamila listed Cooking from the Spirit on her list of the best vegan cookbooks of 2022. DeAnna Taylor of Ebony magazine listed the book on her list of 7 cookbooks to leave Thanksgiving guests wanting more. Oprah Daily listed the book as number 8 on its 2022 list of "16 Books to Gift Your Favorite Bibliophiles." In 2023, USA Today listed the book's peach cobbler recipe on a list of egg-free recipes to try as egg prices rise.
In 2022, the Food Network hired Tabitha Brown to host and executive produce the network’s first plant-based cooking competition series, It's CompliPlated. The show premiered August 11th at 10 p.m. After the show debuted, it was moved from its primetime spot to a daytime slot.
Brown's YouTube show Tab Time was nominated for two categories in the inaugural Children's and Family Emmy Awards, Outstanding Preschool Series and Outstanding Host. The following year, Brown was once again nominated for the Outstanding Host category and later won.

## Personal life

Brown is married to Chance Brown, a retired LAPD officer with whom she co-hosts Fridays with Tab & Chance on IGTV. Together, they have two children; Choyce and Queston. She also has a stepdaughter, Tyleah, from her husband's previous relationship. The family resides in Los Angeles, California.

## Criticism and controversy

Target Partnership
In 2022, Brown, secured a deal with Target to create a line of vegan foods and kitchen items. In 2025, Target announced their decision to end several diversity equity and inclusion programs that had been created as a response to the murder of George Floyd. Target also announced the end of reporting to external groups like the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and end a program focused on carrying more products from Black- or minority-owned businesses. Brown faced backlash for her statements on Instagram urging the public not to boycott the company due to the effect a boycott could cause on her sales and other minority-owned businesses that also sell their products at Target.

## Books

* Feeding the Soul (because it's my business): Finding Our Way to Joy, Love and Freedom
* Cooking from the Spirit: Easy, Delicious, and Joyful Plant-Based Inspirations

## Filmography

Adapted from IMDb:

### Film

As Writer
| Year | Title | Writer | Notes |
| 2019 | Love or Laughs | Yes | Co-written with Bo Starks |
As Actress
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 2005 | Bad Reputation | High School Student / Partygoer | Jim Hemphill | |
| 2008 | Outrighteous | Simone | Jill Maxcy | |
| 2009 | Thug Love | CeCe | Marcello Thedford | |
| 2010 | Helpless | Tabitha Johnson | Brent Huff | Short film |
| 2010 | Caution to the Wind | Veronica Paige | Douglas Herman | |
| 2012 | Laughing to the Bank | Various | Brian Hooks | |
| 2017 | I Am Still Here | Alicia | Mischa Marcus | |
| 2018 | All Between Us | Aubyrn | Jamie Jones | |
| 2018 | I Hate LA | Roxie | Reuben Johnson | |
| 2018 | A Stone Cold Christmas | Homeless Santa | Courtney Miller | |
| 2019 | Princess of the Row | Aunty Tammy | Max Carlson | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | Lbs | Sabrina Wright | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Fat Ass Anonymous | Sabrina | Pilot episode |
| 2014 | Black Boots | Dr. Freeman | Episode: "Revolutions" |
| 2015 | Family Time | Dr. Darlene | Episode: "What's Ours is Mine" |
| 2015, 2019 | Black Jesus | Theresa / Teresa | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Sex Sent Me to the ER | Dr. Mary Manson | Episode: "Bedroom Eyes" |
| 2017 | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Lorraine | Episode: "Felicity Huffman/Lea Michele/Stephen 'tWitch' Boss" |
| 2017 | Switched at Birth | Nurse Reed | Episode: "Four Ages in Life" |
| 2017 | CH Originals | Aunt Tiffany | Episode: "Disarming Conversational Land Mines" |
| 2018 | Vengeful | Dr. Darcel Anderson-Ramirez | Pilot episode |
| 2020 | Will & Grace | Female Officer | Episode: "What A Dump" |
| 2020 | Anatomy of Black Love | Self | TV documentary |
| 2020 | The Talk | Self | Episode: "Joel McHale/Tabitha Brown" |
| 2021 | The Chi | Octavia Matthews | 5 episodes |
| 2021- | Tab Time | Tab | 10 episodes |
| 2022 | The Tiny Chef Show | Herself | 2 episodes |
Psychic on The Conner Sept 22nd, 2021

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Recipient(s) and nominee(s) | Result |
| Veggie Awards | 2020 | Favorite Vegan Social Media Personality | Herself | Won |
| Streamy Awards | 2020 | Food | Herself | Won |
| NAACP Image Awards | 2021 | Outstanding Social Media Personality | Herself | Won |
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Preschool Series | Tab Time | Nominated |
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | 2022 | Outstanding Host | Herself - Tab Time | Nominated |
| Children's and Family Emmy Awards | 2023 | Outstanding Host | Herself - Tab Time | Won |
| Give Her FlowHERS Awards | 2022 | The Self-Love Award | Herself | Won |