Bobbi Kristina Brown Update: Whitney Houston’s Fortune Up In Air, Says Author Of New Book
As Bobbi Kristina Brown continues to fight for life in a long-term medical center, there hasn’t been much focus on the late Whitney Houston’s estate. Bobbi Kristina, as the sole heir, stands to reap a sizable inheritance, which may be playing a significant role in the recent arguments and allegations among family members, reports Ian Halperin, author of new book, Whitney & Bobbi Kristina: The Deadly Price of Fame.
Halperin, arguably best-known for his New York Times best-selling book, Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson, states that the inheritance left to Bobbi Kristina is structured to be disbursed in installments, with one of the installments occurring recently on her 21st birthday. An additional installment is to be disbursed when she turns 25, and the remainder when she turns 30.
Although the structure of the installments seems standard and straightforward, Bobbi Kristina remains in a life-threatening medical condition with no progress. Should she die before she turns 30, the disbursed funds would go back into the estate and go to her next of kin, her father Bobby Brown, 46.
The compensation yet to be disbursed, should Bobbi Kristina die, would go to her maternal grandmother, Cissy Houston, and Whitney Houston’s two surviving brothers, Gary Garland and Michael Houston.
The problem, according to Michael Sukin of the Sukin Law Group, is that the family cannot seem to move along with the process in a friendly manner. Two people have been appointed as guardians for Bobbi Kristina’s medical care, while an attorney is guardian of her assets, which exacerbates the issue.
“This [kind of family squabble] never happens — except all the time. The case would be pretty straightforward if the parties could appoint a single guardian. If other parties get involved and requests are made for approvals — good luck.”
One of the other parties may be Nick Gordon, 26, Bobbi Kristina’s boyfriend who posted on Twitter last year, insinuating that he had married her. Halperin feels there is a slim chance of Gordon trying to step in and show evidence of marriage, which would put him in line to inherit Whitney Houston’s fortune should Bobbi Kristina pass away.
Lovin life with my wife
— Nick Gordon (@Nickdgordon) January 13, 2014
Eternal L O V E ?? . @nickdgordon pic.twitter.com/FXvSZeSh4R
— Bobbi Kristina H.G. (@REALbkBrown) May 25, 2014
Yet, numerous sources indicate that Gordon never married Bobbi Kristina, and according to Halperin, she intended to break the engagement off.
Meanwhile, Leolah Brown, Bobby Brown’s sister, recently took to Facebook, stating that Pat Houston, Bobbi Kristina’s aunt by marriage, wants to “pull the plug” in order to save money. A source for the Houston family responded to the allegation, stating that it was completely untrue, and that Bobbi Kristina’s insurance is paying for her care.
Christopher Brown, Bobby Brown’s attorney, dispelled the rumors of Bobbi Kristina returning to her Roswell, Georgia, townhome to die peacefully.
“Bobbi Kristina is not going home to die, as numerous news affiliates and websites have reported.”
Bobbi Kristina Brown remains at Dekalb Medical hospital’s long-term rehabilitation facility in Atlanta. While both families continue to give conflicting information on her medical condition, there has been no confirmed progress.
[Photos Courtesy of Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images, Simon & Schulster, and Bobby Brown/Facebook]
