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Bobby Brown, right, leaves the funeral service of his ex-wife, pop singer Whitney Houston, at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., on Saturday, Feb. 18.
Each of the 1,500 invitations to Whitney Houston's funeral in Newark, NJ admits just one, but apparently her ex-husband Bobby Brown did not receive that memo.
According to New Jersey paper The Star Ledger, the R&B singer, 43, arrived outside of the New Hope Baptist Church Saturday afternoon with an entourage of nine people in tow, demanding that they all get seats in the front row.
PHOTOS: Whitney and Bobby's family album
The paper adds that Brown himself was allowed in, but he opted to leave with the rest of the people not admitted.
"He was allowed to go in, pay his respects and then he had to leave," a witness tells Us Weekly. "He was red-eyed going up to the casket and then left. He was there for 15 minutes."
PHOTOS: Whitney Houston, 1963-2012
A source has told Us that there is still underlying tension between Houston's relatives and Brown, who married Houston in 1992. Their divorce was finalized in 2007.
"There are family members who felt Bobby drove Whitney into drugs," one source explained. "But now Bobby is clean and Whitney has unfortunately passed. So there's resentment."
VIDEO: Whitney's ups and downs
Brown is expected to perform at his scheduled concert, which takes place at the nearby New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
UPDATED: Brown issued a statement after the service, explaining his early departure.
"My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston. We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi-Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. My children are completely distraught over the events. This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur. I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how."
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Maybe Bobbie needed support, but he didn't need all those people with him. It was gangster looking. All he had to pick up the phone, call Whitney's family and tell them he was coming and could like to sit with his daughter.
I don't know if the two of them talked after they divorced or if he even had a relationship with his daugher. But he should have been allowed in -- alone -- and not with an entourage.
He was. Plainly stated in the article.
It was rude and inconsiderate for Brown to show up with an entourage of uninvited people. He clearly demonstrated his self centered, self important nature in doing so. It was gracious of the Houston family to invite him in the first place and he repaid them by abusing that hospitality.
No way if I'm the Houston family Brown gets it.
People do not MAKE others do drugs or alcohol. We are individuals and have choices. Many people I knew or know do drugs but I don't because I CHOSE not to. To blame others is a cop out. It has always baffled me how people want to put the blame on others rather than accept the fact that Whitney had a drug problem, had opportunity after opportunity to get rehabilitated. Bottom line... it is up to the individual who is an addict to WANT TO stop. I know first hand as i was an enabler for years but thank goodness this individual hit rock bottom and after using for 30 years has been clean for over 10 now. Unless you have been there or walked in their shoes or have been close to someone who has or is an addict, you would not know. I agree with Sally in Chicago..he probably should have called ahead of time and requested he sit with his daughter and bring some support as it was clear he is distraught. They were married 17 years and had a child together and remained friends after the divorce. RIP Whitney.
True, but it is naive to think people do not exert undue influence on others and bring them down roads they would otherwise not have gone but for knowing a jerk.
As to showing up with an entourage to a funeral - pathetic. He is a grown man whose primary responsibility was to be strong for his daughter. He chose to leave, he chose to only think of himself. Simply pathetic.
He was her husband, She at one time loved him and probably in some way still did. He was her daughters father, whom I'm sure he loved very much. I'm sure his daughter loved him very much also. Resentments should be forgotten, especially now.He grieves also. Married people have issues. People do not MAKE others do drugs or alcohol. He should have been allowed to stay but without the entourage.
Just because no one puts a gun to anyone's head makes them drink or do drugs does not mean they are not part of the problem, responsible for the problem as well. Addicts often pull others into their journey to hell and they know what they are doing, and are responsible, just as the one following knows and chooses to take the journey with them. There may be many reasons, obsession/love, a certain kind of weakness, a vulnerable time, all kinds of reasons. Just as the addict has his or her reasons. But it is not true that no one is responsible except yourself for the decisions. People can be seduced. And once seduced, the road can become very murky indeed. Bobby Brown was not good for Whitney. The good girl attracted to charming "bad boy". A common story--rarely with a good ending. The lucky get away soon, get cleaned up and are much wiser for it. The rest suffer and sink and often die. I'm sorry Whitney that you met this man at that particular moment in your life when you did not see you were giving your all to someone who was going to take you to a hellish place, young and full of promise, you did not understand the extent of what your loss was going to be, including your precious gift--your voice. Yes, she chose him, yes, he's the father of her child. But the family has a right to despise him, and they are not required to put that aside for any reason. Whitney would understand. Whitney, does understand. Any if anyone reads this and is a person who knows they are helping another person destroy themselves, shame, really, shame on you.
Whitney was on drugs before she met Bobby, it is her fault; quit trying to blame someone else for her problems.
If you read the article, its quite clear: HE CHOSE TO LEAVE, the only people not allowed in were his guests (who brings guests to a funeral). He couldn't even stay and support his daughter. Pathetic excuse for a parent and a man.
We dont need Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich to put Black men down. These black women on these posts are worse than Santorum and Gingrich put together. Yeah, I said it!! I admired Whitney Houston as much as anyone . The eighties was my hayday, when she was making all her hits. The soundtrack is embedded in my mind. Give Bobby a blunt and a 40 and he was happy. Whitney was the one who as into Cocaine, not him. His only weakness was that he was not strong enough to stop her. Then again, even if he had tried, she probably would have accused him of abuse. Thats what drug addicts do. He was in a no win situation. All I keep hearing is how much of a christian Whitneys family is. Thats baloney. They claim he needs to be there for his daughter, and yet they are undermining his ability to be any kind of father with thier wicked innuenod and lies. Whitney was into drugs long before she met Bobby. And contiuned long after he was gone. Sisters try to blame brothers for every Ill in their life. Bobby Brown is the perfect example. Just bear this in mind. When you stand before the throne of Jesus Christ. He isnt going to ask you what that man did. He is going to ask you what YOU did. And if your response is to point blame on someone else. The next words you will here are "Depart from me, your works are of iniquity" I suppose it makes some people feel better to blame somebody else. Hard t look at yourself, isnt it? But if this is all we gt out of her death, then we Will have learned Nothing.
Well said. I could not agree more.
THANK YOU.... you are exactly right. To blame Bobby is the craziest thing they could do. Whitney was exposed to the will of GOD, and RECOVERY. Should we blame he mother for introducing her to GOD since Whitney turnd her back on him for drugs? IF...and I did say IF Bobby did introduce her to drugs, she could have turned her back on DRUGS too. Quit blaming this man. Besides all the BLANE and ANGER... I do believe they did LOVE each other at one point and it's no time to take to the Old Testament and cut their child into because BOTH sides love this child. Jus a sad situation all around.
Everybody's quick to condemn Whitney and forgive Bobby Brown. All women at one time or another do things common sense tells us not to for the man we love. Not realizing that if they really loved us they wouldn't pressure us in to doing those things. Sometimes it's easier to get rid of a bad man than to fix the part of us they break on the way out the door. I didn't know Whitney personally but I know several woman including myself that have luved the wrong man with all of our hearts and struggle everyday to fix what they have broken. I feel like the Houston family showed Great Graciousness in even allowing Mr. Brown to attend. Whereas Mr Brown showed the selfish self centered traits that often go hand in hand with the type of person that he has shown himself to be. With Gods love and Mercy even he is redeemable. RIP Whitney.
If he was welcome at the service, he should have abided by their wishes and come alone. He did not need an entourage. This was about remembering Whitney. It was disrespectful of him to walk out and leave. Couldn't he step out of the spotlight for a few hours?
It's a huge tragedy that someone with so much talent who had everything in life, wasted it all. It is very sad that the life she had and the talent she had, could somehow not bring her the joy that it did for all the rest of us who enjoyed her amazing voice. She chose the way she lived. And she paid the ultimate price. What a terrible, terrible shame and a waste of a life.
No "Class" whatsoever. Still a freakin clown. If the primary reason Brown left before the service was over, was the seating arrangements for his fellow clowns, then his presence sure in hel!! wasn't about sharing grief, being with his daughter, family and most importantly, paying final respects to Ms. Houston. No, Brown thinks it's about him and his circus act and where they wanted to be sitted. It was all about the Bobby Brown show and getting his "attention" deficit need satisfied. What a "clASS", without the CL.
You would think that if somebody was as close as Bobby Brown and his associates were to Whitney that they would make exception to someone such as he who was closer than any of them could ever be. He was there for Whitney to show his respect and his love for someone that was a part of his life as much as it was for hers. This was a bad decision and poor judgment on those who denied them this chance to show their love and admiration to her.
So very sad to end her legacy this way.
I respect Bobby for leaving in dignity. He is hurting like the rest of her family and fans.
We can all speculate till the cows come home but, here is the cold truth..."There but by the GRACE of GOD go I".
What a class act. You idiot. Why the hell would you bring an entourage. Then expcet the first row to move to acommadate you. Your self centered immature. Its about Whitney not you. You fed her that crap live with it. We will always love you Whitney RIP. Prayers to the Houston family.
He really didn't care about that service for his ex-wife...he's in Newark NJ for a paid concert tonite also ( $$$$ he cares about).
This is a lie do not believe it...Al Sharpton said that he was there and he had to help him stay calm. From how I understand it, Whitney introduced Bobby, to drugs. The Expectations of her superstardom caused her to fall...the elite within the industry killed her please do not let this people fool you. There are people killing people in Hollywood, Madonna ceremony at the halftime show, and Nikki M ritual at the grammies was all a part of Whitney's death. This whole thing was to be a sacrifice for Queen Elizabeth, Diamond Jubliee please people read and wake up. These people are controlling the world through the celebrities because they know who masses will look up to most. It is true that the 33 masons and illiuminati exist, and Madonna is a 33 mason and so is Jay-Z. This is all a part of the new world order. Next time something is going to happen will be taken place at the olympics. Watch and see!
Could you please pass whatever it is you are smoking good madame?
No one puts a gun to your head and force you to snort cocaine, smoke weed, drink alcohol, takes pills, shoot up heroin, and so on and so forth. Take accountability for your own actions. Good and bad influences are all around us through our friends, coworkers, celebrities and people in our society. You have GOD given instinct to know the difference between what is right and wrong. If you choose to continue down the path of destruction, then no one is at fault but you!!!!!!!!!! Bobby Brown may or may not have influenced her, but he is not responsible for her death. The man got clean and sober...he wasn't in her life anymore...yet her family and friends were....so tell me where were their influences or were they too busy enabling to not notice it? Point the fingers at the right folks baby...
From the family of the late Cassietta George loved and admired the daughter of Ms. Cissy Houston. Our family will keep the Houston Family in our prayers. May God Bless and Keep the Family in Perfect Peace.
al sharpton said it best. Bobby should have been able to stay. Is enterage that you people called, 4 of them were Bobbie half brothers and sisters. If security saw it fit to seat him with his daughter tham her half sibbling should have been able to sit with her also. I do agree that security for him should have been moved, but not them. As far as her being on drugs and the blame is put on him, well she was an adult and she could have refused. He as been sober and drug free for 5 years, but not Whitney. I do agree she had a wonderful voice and I do have her CD's. But why not let the person who wrote the song sign it.(Dolly) She also did a wonderful job singing that song. Oh before you say OH there goes another white . NO I'm Black.
meant to say sing it not sign, Sorry for the typo. Another excuse for someone to call me out.
If Bobby was planning on bringing uninvited guests to his ex-wife's funeral (even if the guests were his relatives), he should have consulted with the family first. If he and Whitney were still married, that would be a different story. But since they were no longer married to each other, he had no right to act in a way that contradicted the wishes of the Houston family, and for him to leave shows a lack of class on his part and just how selfish he is. I have no sympathy for him, but I do feel sorry for Bobbi Kristina, because not only is her mother now deceased, but she's stuck with Bobby Brown as a dad, and that's something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.
not surprised at all by his antics.
A real shame, it seems that prescription drugs and bathrooms go together. Judy Garland, Elvis Presley and Whitney Houston all died in a bathroom.
At this point it doesn't serve any purpose in pointing fingers, what is done is done. Bobbi Kristina is all that is important now. It is too late to help Whitney.
I hope that Bobby Brown will do his best in giving their daughter the fatherly attention she deserves and needs.
Bringing an entourage of 9 to an invitation-only event is a serious breach of etiquette and disrespectful, especially when the event is a funeral. Playing devil's advocate, if someone is invited to a wedding, bringing an entourage of 9 is not acceptable, and to demand that your entourage receive priority seating is outrageous.
In this case, a family has suffered a tremendous loss - a mother lost a daughter, and a daughter lost a mother, not to mention that many others lost a sister, cousin, in-law, friend, employer, benefactor, etc. This has to be an incredibly stressful time for the Houston family, and for Bobby Brown to be so arrogant to think that he could bring uninvited guests to what the Houston family specifically planned to be a private ceremony lends credence to why certain members of the Houston family despise him.
I don't know if he was prevented from seeing his daughter because he's not the most credible person on earth, but regardless, he had a choice; he could have swallowed his pride, remembered that this was about Whitney, Bobbi Kristina, and her loved ones, and sat his sorry a** down where he was asked to sit. Instead, he chose to go Hollywood and act like a petulant child. He's supposed to perform tonight with New Edition, and I hope the concertgoers let him know exactly how they feel about him with some loud and resounding "boos".
He's a flake. Go figure.
His explanation says-he was with his other children-who probably was treated as family by Whitney-so would want to be a part of her service-I hope that is what was his entourage was-her extended family-that he was considerate enough to leave rather than become a media story-he should be prayed for as well
She was a tortured soul, as we all get older we worry about things that we never did as young adults.. It is worse for some then others.. Just think we all get old but everyone deals with it in different ways.. The extremely talented sometimes just cannot change with the times and need a crutch to hold on to.. that is true for all of us. But the question is why did she not have the self worth to believe in herself? It happens to oh so many that when we hear of a person like Whitney, who we look at and listen to, she was just so pretty, classy and the voice that could sing different ranges, we wonder why that was not enough for them.. It was for us so why not for them? I do not have a answer for the issues I thought about but I will tell you this, She had a Friggin awesome voice, was drop dead classy and for all her public warts, she did make it and will be remembered forever.. She is home where she wanted to be someday and nothing ever will make her feel if she is not good enough... I shall miss her, another good person gone to soon.. For all of you that would like to bring to mind her imperfections, she noticed that she had them first. So you don't have to remind everyone of them. That is probably the demons that she was running from..........It is hard to stand in front of lots of people and be on all the time...I am going to cut her some slack her she earned it...
He was her husband one time but not now. He had a right to attend after being invited, however, he is no longer a member of the family and as such, he should never had thought he would be able to bring a group with him and expect them to all be seated when he got only one invitation. Not very smart. Besides he is the butthole that got her into drugs and now she is gone and he is still walking around for the time being.
Yes, I'm sure that must be it. Bobby MADE her do drugs and MADE her continue. She has no responsibility whatsoever.