FANTASIA OFFICIALLY SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT IN AN ALL NEW "BEHIND THE MUSIC: FANTASIA" PREMIERING ON VH1 TUESDAY, AUGUST 24 AT 9:00 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK, NY - August 23 , 2010 - VH1's five-time Emmy(R) Award-nominated documentary series "Behind The Music" returns with a brand new special episode featuring "American Idol" winner and four-time Grammy Award nominee, Fantasia Barrino. Included in this episode, Fantasia will address the most recent events in her life in an interview that was taped on Saturday, August 21. Narrated by Jim Forbes, this "Behind The Music" will give viewers an inside look into the personal and professional life of one of music's greatest vocalists. Along with interviews from Fantasia herself, the episode will feature stories from some of the people who know her best as well as never-before-seen footage. "Behind The Music: Fantasia" premieres on Tuesday, August 24 at 9:00 PM*.

Growing up a country girl from North Carolina to becoming one of the queens of R&B, Fantasia has overcome all odds on her dramatic rise to fame. In this episode of "Behind The Music," Fantasia reveals her issues with low self-esteem, a traumatic rape at the age of 14, an unexpected pregnancy at 17, an abusive relationship with a former boyfriend, facing bankruptcy, dealing with a shocking illness and most recently being rushed to the hospital due to an overdose of aspirin and a sleeping aid.

Determined to make a better life for herself and daughter Zion, Fantasia decided to pursue her musical dreams by auditioning for season three of "American Idol." She poured her heart and soul into each performance and beat out such competitors as Jennifer Hudson, LaToya London, and George Huff, to ultimately win the title of "American Idol." Since then, Fantasia has gone on to become a platinum-selling international superstar and her first single "I Believe" on J Records debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. This debut made Fantasia the first artist in history to achieve this with their debut single. In the coming years, Fantasia recorded two albums, published a memoir entitled Life Is Not a Fairy Tale, was nominated for four Grammy(R) Awards, made her Broadway debut in "The Color Purple," and starred in her own VH1 reality show "Fantasia For Real." Always the underdog, Fantasia has proved she can defeat any obstacle she encounters on her journey to the top. This episode includes exclusive footage of Fantasia's high school graduation where she received her diploma nearly a decade after dropping out of school. Also featured are interviews with her family, ex-boyfriend Brandel Shouse, "American idol" alum George Huff and Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment Clive Davis.

VH1 connects viewers to the music, artists and pop culture that matter to them most with TV series, specials, live events, exclusive online content and public affairs initiatives. VH1 is available in 95 million households in the U.S. VH1 also has an array of digital channels and services including VH1Classic, VH1 Soul, VH1 Mobile and extensive video on VH1.com. Connect with VH1 at VH1.com.

* All Times ET/PT