Bobbi Kristina Brown will be buried next to her mother in Westfield, N.J., Monday. Her funeral services are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta.
The only child of Bobby Brown and the late Whitney Houston, she passed away in an Atlanta hospice Sunday, surrounded by her family. Her death comes six months after she was found facedown and unresponsive in a bathtub in her Roswell, Ga., home.
She was 22 years old.
“Krissy was and is an angel,” Bobby Brown said in a statement. “I am completely numb at this time. My family must find a way to live with her in spirit and honor her memory. Our loss is unimaginable. We thank everyone for the prayers for Krissy and our family as we mourn my baby girl.”
Missy Elliott tweeted, “My heart is truly heavy. May u rest in peace with your mommy #BobbiKristina sending prayers 2 the Brown/Houston family. No parent ever think of burying their child be4 they go so extra prayers 4 Bobby Brown & Cissy Houston Rest #BobbiKristina.”
Her passing comes just three years after Houston’s, who was discovered in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, in Beverly Hills, Calif., in February of 2012.
Houston’s Facebook page paid tribute to Brown, saying, “It is hard to say goodbye. On Sunday, July 26, Bobbi Kristina Brown made her transition peacefully. The family thanks everyone for their loving thoughts and prayers. As Bobbi Kristina would say: ‘The wind is behind me and the sun is in my face.’”
Her passing brings the end to a long family struggle for her recovery, as she was on life support until she was moved to hospice care last month.
Long-time boyfriend and one-time rumored husband Nick Gordon was not by Brown’s side at the time of her passing. He wasn’t allowed in the room.
Their relationship sparked controversy. Initially reports stated that Houston raised Gordon as one of her own, although he was not adopted into the family. He became romantically involved with Brown publicly after Houston’s death. They were never married, although the couple referred to each other as husband and wife.
Gordon and Brown were living together when she was found unconscious in her bathtub. He and their friend Max Lomas attempted to revive her with CPR. Upon arrival, paramedics took over and rushed Brown to North Fulton Hospital in Roswell. She was put into a medically induced coma. In March, she was transferred to a long-term care facility until her health worsened and she was moved to the hospice, where she spent her final days.
Many questions were raised by Brown’s family about her near-drowning incident and whether Gordon was involved.His relationship with the Houston and Brown families was anything but pleasant. A restraining order was placed against him in April of 2014 by Pat Houston, wife of Whitney Houston’s brother Gary and executor of Brown’s trust fund, after alleging Gordon made threatening comments about her and her family.
Gordon is still under investigation after a $10 million lawsuit filed on behalf of Brown by conservator Bedelia Hargrove. She accused him of physically abusing Brown just hours before she was found in the bathtub. The lawsuit also claimed Gordon took $11,000 from Brown’s account without permission after she was hospitalized. He maintains his innocence.
In March of 2015 and before checking himself into rehab for substance abuse, Gordon expressed to Dr. Phil how much he wanted Brown and Houston back. He also said he hated Bobby Brown.
Their public feud stemmed from the lack of Gordon’s participation in the investigation and his inability to visit Brown. Gordon did not agree to the conditions set by Brown’s family to see her.
Gordon’s mother, Michele, said, “The passing of Bobbi Kristina is devastating to Nick and our family. Nick loved and cared for Krissi deeply, and he has suffered greatly each and every day they’ve been apart. Nick and our family are in mourning, and we ask that you respect our privacy. Our thoughts and prayers are with both the Houstons and the Browns during this difficult time.”
According to the Fulton County medical examiner’s office, Brown’s preliminary autopsy results revealed no obvious cause of death or significant injuries. The investigation is ongoing.
A number of celebrities reached out via social media and expressed their condolences.
Angela Bassett tweeted, “Children are God’s most precious gift to us. In Him we live & breathe & have our being. In Him we trust that death is not the final arbiter, that pain will not endure always, that loving memories will envelop us … and as life goes on, we live in hope and expectation of God’s sufficient and eternal grace. My heartfelt prayers & deepest condolences to the Brown-Houston family.”
Sherri Shepherd tweeted, “Motherhood changes you … you don’t live for you, you’re living for your children Whitney Houston #RIP Bobbi Kristina.”
Mariah Carey tweeted, “Heartfelt prayers & condolences from the bottom of my heart to the family of Bobbi Kristina Brown. My thoughts are with you. #BobbiKristina.”
Ciara tweeted, “Lost For Words About The Life Story Of Whitney and Her Daughter Bobbi Kristina. Praying For The Houston and Brown Family. #RestinPeaceBobbiKristina.”
Alicia Keys tweeted, “My heart, thoughts and prayers are with the family of #BobbiKristina. May she rest in peace in her mother’s arms.”
Ludacris captioned an Instagram photo, “words can’t express how sad both of them being gone feels R.I.P.”
Deborah Cox tweeted, “My deepest condolences to the Houston and Brown family as we’ve lost a young life filled with promise, a soul gone too soon. R.I.P. Bobbi Kristina.”
Oprah Winfrey tweeted, “Peace at Last! #BobbiKristina.”
In 2009, Houston performed on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and appeared for her first interview in almost seven years. Sitting in the audience was 16-year-old Brown. Winfrey shifted the conversation to Brown, and she described their mother-daughter relationship. With a huge smile on her face, Brown could hardly find the words to describe the love she shared with her mother.
“Words can’t explain how proud I am of her,” she said. “I’ve been there with her, you know, through everything … I stay by her side. That’s like my best friend. That’s like my sister.”
“It wasn’t easy, but she never let go of my hand,” Houston said. “And I never let go of hers.”
Brown appeared again on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” but this time, struggling to deal with her mother’s death.
“I can hear her voice in spirit talking to me,” Brown said. “‘Keep talking to me. I got you.’ She’s always with me. I can always feel her. I can always feel her with me. She always asked me, ‘Do you need me?’ And I caught myself, out of nowhere, I didn’t even know I said it. I said, ‘I’ll always need you.’”
She repeatedly expressed the love she had for her mother on social media.