Leolah Brown abruptly left the funeral for Bobbi Kristina Brown, a sign of the larger battle that could be looming among the tragedy-stricken family.
Bobbi Kristina was laid to rest this weekend, more than seven months after she was found unresponsive in a bathtub and fell into a coma. She would never recover, enduring months of setbacks that led to tension and bickering among her family.
That tension appeared to spill over at Bobbi Kristina’s funeral, where aunt Leolah Brown left after an outburst in which she called out Pat Houston.
“I told her that Whitney is going to haunt her from the grave,” Leolah Brown told reporters outside the church (via the Associated Press ).
Leolah Brown added that the funeral incident is likely the start of a prolonged feud between the Brown and Houston families. Bobbi Kristina Brown’s death will now start a battle over mother Whitney Houston’s fortune, which was given to Bobbi Kristina after Whitney’s death.
“It’s just getting started,” Leolah Brown said.
It appears that some family members are trying to smooth over the tensions. TMZ reported as follows.
“Meeta Brown, Bobbi’s cousin who attended the funeral, made a beeline for cameras after the service and ragged on Leolah Brown, who was removed after screaming that Pat Houston would be haunted by the ghost of Whitney.
Meeta, who refers to herself as Bobbi Kristina’s sister but is actually her cousin, insists the 2 families are getting along fine… which is not what we’re hearing at all.”
Whitney Houston’s will may already spell out where the reported $20 million fortune goes.
OK! magazine spelled out the terms.
“The terms of Whitney’s Last Will & Testament say that if her daughter ‘doesn’t survive her,’ the estate will be split among her mother, Cissy Houston , and her two brothers, Michael Houston and Gary Garland — who is the husband of Bobbi Kris’ aunt and co-guardian, Pat Houston .”
But there are reports that the family may be feuding over how the fortune is split, and tensions between Leolah and Pat Houston could be related to that. Pat is named as the executor of Whitney’s estate, and in the past, Leolah seemed to balk at being left out of decision making.
Leolah was often out of step with the rest of the family during Bobbi Kristina’s prolonged hospital stay. While many family members painted her condition in stark terms, Leolah offered updates that seemed to hint at a recovery.
After the funeral, Bobbi Kristina Brown will be interred on Monday. It is not clear if Leolah Brown will be present.
[Photo by Paras Griffin / Getty Images]
