Life & Work with Brandon Chastang of New York

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Chastang.

Hi Brandon, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Brandon Chastang, also known as **B McFly**, was born and raised in West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania\. His story is one of adversity, survival, transformation, and ultimately, purpose\.

Brandon was born to very young parents—his mother was just 14 years old and his father was 16\. Both struggled with drug addiction, which created an unstable and often painful childhood\. He experienced neglect as well as physical and emotional abuse\. With his parents frequently absent, Brandon was primarily raised by his grandmother, who was already raising two children of her own while working overnight as a nurse\.

Home wasn’t always a safe place\. Brandon endured abuse from his grandmother’s husband and often found himself moving from house to house, staying with different people before eventually returning to his grandmother’s home\. His parents’ lives were also affected by violence and addiction; both were shot at different points in their lives\. Growing up surrounded by instability, addiction, trauma, and violence forced Brandon to learn how to survive at a very young age\.

Despite everything happening around him, **education became one of his pathways forward**\. Brandon graduated from high school and was accepted to Lincoln University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice in 2004\.

But just months after graduating, tragedy struck\.

On July 4, 2004, Brandon was shot\. While recovering in the hospital, he was prescribed Percocet for the pain\. What began as medication for a legitimate injury eventually developed into an addiction that would follow him for approximately **14 years**\.

During those years, Brandon experienced some of the darkest moments of his life\. Addiction took an enormous emotional and mental toll, and there were times when he attempted to take his own life\. Yet his story did not end there\.

**January 21, 2018 became the turning point\.**

Brandon entered a 30\-day rehabilitation program and made the decision to change the direction of his life\. He has remained sober ever since\.

Instead of hiding the painful chapters of his past, Brandon transformed them into a source of purpose\. He began using his experiences to help others facing the same struggles he once knew personally\. His work has focused on **drug addiction and recovery, gun\-violence prevention, mental\-health awareness, youth mentorship, and community outreach**\.

In 2023, violence once again came directly to Brandon’s doorstep when someone attempted to take his life\. But even that experience did not stop his mission\. His story and community work have received media attention, and he has continued using his platform to speak about violence, recovery, survival, and the importance of healing communities\.

Today, **B McFly continues to turn his pain into purpose**\. He works inside schools, supports individuals struggling with addiction, helps interrupt cycles of violence, mentors young people, and advocates for mental health and stronger communities\.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I lost my mother, father, step father, step mother, grandmother, best friend from 2015-2021. I felt lonely then on 2023 someone tried to kill me

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Community leader, actor, content creator

Any big plans?
Being a public figure in the acting world

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @b.mcfly_
• Facebook: Brandon Chastang g
• Twitter: @bmcfly_
• Youtube: Bmcfly21