Psychic and New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Browne made numerous appearances on “The Montel Williams Show” from the early 1990s until the show’s final week in 2008. More recently, many of her clips have gone viral, and some have accused her of not being a real psychic. Now, years later, Montel Williams is defending Browne, whom he often referred to as his friend.
Notably, Browne passed away in 2013 at the age of 77.
Montel Williams Says Sylvia Browne Could Truly Read People
GettyBrowne often faced criticism while she was alive, with many of her critics pointing to instances in which her self-proclaimed powers proved incorrect. Following her death, many clips have surfaced, with some social media users finding her delivery to be humorous, but overall believing she may have harmed people who were in search of answers.
Recently, in July 2026, Williams appeared on the “On Par with Maury Povich” podcast. While on, Povich mentioned the “Sylvia Browne memes.” In reflecting on her legacy, Williams stated, “She resonates today like no tomorrow.”
From there, the former talk show host shared that he’s been approached several times by companies interested in doing “a special about Sylvia.”
The Former Talk Show Host Said Sylvia Was Usually Right on His Show
In defending her, he said, “I believe in the fact that Sylvia Browne had some sort of perspective, I don’t know what you want to call it, where she just has this ability to read people.”
Regarding her history and upbringing, Williams stated, “When you really look back at her life, you understand why. She was told that she was a psychic when she was five years old. When she was six, seven, eight years old, her mother would bring 30, 40, 50 people by the house a day.”
Toward the end of the clip, Williams alluded to the criticism she’s faced in recent years. According to him, “A lot of people can knock her these days, but the truth of the matter is police departments reached out to her, lawyers reached out to her, other people reached out to her.”
Regarding her accuracy, he claimed Browne was “about 82% to 83% correct” on questions from the audience.
It’s worth noting that Williams’ comments come after, according to Fox8, he apologized to the mother of Amanda Berry, Louwana Miller, after Browne told them their daughter had passed away, but she was later rescued.
The Famous Psychic Passed Away in November 2013
Following the end of “The Montel Williams Show,” Browne continued publishing books, touring the country with seminars, and making television appearances. Some of her final onscreen work can be seen on “Larry King Live” and “Live With Kelly & Michael.”
Regarding her health, Browne suffered a heart attack in March 2011 but recovered. However, according to NBC News, she passed away on November 20, 2013, in San Jose, California, in a hospital. Following her death, a message appeared on her offical website, reading, “For many years she shared her gift with friends and family, gaining a reputation for accuracy with her trademark down-to-earth approach and sense of humor.”
