Former child star Brandon Hammond, known for his roles in “Soul Food,” “Menace II Society,” and the 1996 film “Space Jam,” was seen in a rare public outing in Los Angeles. In photos obtained by the Daily Mail and published on Saturday, August 29, Hammond looked casual in a red T-shirt, black jogger pants, and black Crocs. He also carried a backpack over his shoulder.
Brandon Hammond Spotted in Rare Public Appearance
Hammond had a full beard, and his hair was cut short, with the Daily Mail describing him as looking “unrecognizable” now, more than “two decades after his final film and television roles.” The actor left Hollywood for a reason, though, and he opened up about it in a September 2025 interview with People magazine.
“I was diagnosed with this super, super rare, autoimmune condition called Castleman disease,” Hammond told the publication. “What most people don’t know is that I was diagnosed not long after. So ‘Soul Food’ comes out in ’97, September 26th. We’re at the NAACP Image Awards in ’98, [that’s] February of ’98, and we have an amazing night. We won for Outstanding Motion Picture; I won for Outstanding Youth Actor — I believe Irma won, Vanessa won. We just kind of swept that night. It was just an unbelievable night. Three or four months later, I am fighting for my life, basically.”
Brandon Hammond Opens Up About His Health Condition
Hammond bravely opened up about his condition, revealing the tremendous pain he went through. “I had all these chest pains, and my eye was flushed out red; just all types of physiological things were happening to me that we could not explain,” he said. He traveled to hospitals all over the country trying to get answers, which eventually came after a biopsy, which was initially done because his lymph nodes were swollen.
“That’s when I got this diagnosis for this thing called Castleman’s disease,” he revealed. “I had never heard of it before, but apparently, it’s super rare in children, and it’s super rare in Black people. So when you talk about rare, I’m the rarest exception to that rule.”
Hammond has an Instagram account with over 52,000 followers, where he shares updates, occasional photos, and throwbacks. However, the actor revealed that many people still ask him why he gave up acting.
“A lot of people don’t know that because people have asked, ‘Hey, what happened? Why’d you stop acting?’ And I used to give these really kind of vague answers and responses because I wasn’t ready to talk about it,” he said. At the time, he wasn’t ready to speak publicly about his health, and his agents advised him not to.
Hammond’s openness was a brave move, and fans applauded him in an Instagram post. In a screenshot from his interview with People, Hammond revealed he was “honored.” Fans flooded the comment section with messages of support. “Currently watching space jam and it made me look you up. Glad to see you’re doing good,” a comment reads.
“Glad you are healthy,” another person shared.
