Bobbi Kristina Brown: The tragic story of Whitney Houston's daughter

22 December 2022, 16:19

Bobbi Kristina Brown was Whitney Houston's only child, and her life came to an end far too early.

Bobbi was only 22 years old when she died, with her death tragically mirroring how her famous mother Whitney had died three years previously.

But in a short period, Bobbi had become famous in her own right, and had many people wondering whether she could emulate her mother's success in the future. Sadly, we'd never find out.

1. When was Bobbi Kristina born?

   

   Bobbi Kristina Houston Brown was born on March 4, 1993, in Livingston, New Jersey.

   Her parents were singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.

   Bobbi was thus related to many singers and entertainers: her grandmother was singer Cissy Houston, and her mother's cousins were singers Dee Dee Warwick, Dionne Warwick, and Leontyne Price.

   Through her father, Bobbi had six half-siblings: Landon, La'Princia, Bobby Jr, Cassius, Bodhi, and Estelle.

   Her godmother was gospel singer CeCe Winans, and her godfather was music producer Clive Davis.

2. When did she first taste fame?

   

   Whitney Houston - My Love Is Your Love (Official Video)

   Bobbi grew up with cameras all around her. She appeared with Whitney during an interview with Barbara Walters at just eight months old, and at one she appeared on stage at the 1994 American Music Awards when her mother accepted an award.

   Her voice appeared on her mother's 1998 song 'My Love Is Your Love'. When Whitney brought her to the recording studio and held her up to the microphone, Bobbi said "Sing, mommy," which can be heard during the first verse of the song. She also says "Clap your hands!" at the end.

   She later featured on Whitney's 2003 Christmas album One Wish: The Holiday Album on 'The Little Drummer Boy'.

   Bobbi grew up while her parents battled drug use, while the media scrutinized her fluctuating weight as a young teenager.

3. What was she famous for?

   

   Whitney died aged 48 in a hotel bathtub in February 2012, with doctors ruling that she died due to an accidental drowning with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors.

   Bobbi was the beneficiary of Whitney's entire estate, including her clothing, jewellery, cars, personal items, and furniture. When she reached 30, she was to receive the rest of Whitney's $115 million estate.

   In March 2012, Bobbi said she felt her mother's spirit, and she aimed to carry on her mother's legacy by doing the "singing thing," as well as starting a career as an actor and dancer.

   She was cast in her acting debut as Tina the receptionist in Tyler Perry's For Better or Worse TV series.

   She would go on to become most famous for appearing on reality TV.

4. Who was her husband?

   

   In July 2013, Bobbi announced her engagement to close family friend, Nick Gordon, who had lived in the Houston household when he was 12, but was never formally adopted.

   This caused controversy within the family, as she had previously referred to him as her "big bruh" in online posts.

   Though they two never legally married, Bobbi and Gordon announced they had got married in January 2014.

5. When did Bobbi Kristina pass away?

   

   On January 31, 2015, her partner Gordon and a friend found Bobbi face down in a bathtub at her home in Alpharetta, Georgia.

   According to a police spokesperson, Brown was alive after being taken to the hospital. Doctors placed her in an induced coma, after finding that her brain function was "significantly diminished".

   She died on July 26, 2015, aged just 22. Her death was reported as being similar to her mother's death, as both had died after being submerged in a bathtub.

   She was buried between her mother and maternal grandfather at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey.

   Autopsy results found "marijuana, alcohol (ethanol), benzoylecgonine (a cocaine metabolite), benzodiazepines (medications used for sedation or to treat anxiety), and morphine" being found in the body. The cause of death listed that an "underlying cause" as "immersion associated with drug intoxication".

   A final autopsy report determined Brown died of lobar pneumonia.