In February of 2012, the world mourned the loss of undoubtedly one of the best female vocalists ever. As fans remembered Whitney Houston for her many contributions to the music world, her 18-year-old daughter Bobbie Kristina struggled to make sense of and cope with the tragic loss of her mother in an apparent drug-related accidental bathtub drowning.
In the years that past since Whitney Houston’s death, reports circulated of Bobbie Kristina’s own battles with drug addiction. On Jan. 31, 2015, in a scenario that eerily mimicked her mother’s death, the 22-year-old was found unconscious in a bathtub. Family members revealed that, while still alive, loss of oxygen to the brain caused the young woman to suffer profound and irreversible brain damage.
During the last six months, the Houston and Brown families have often been at odds with one another as members from both attempted to gain control over their loved one’s future medical care and finances. Prior to her death, Bobbie Kristina’s father Bobby Brown and maternal Aunt Pat Houston were named as her co-guardians with an appointed conservator handling her assets.
The 22 year old’s tragic death raises many questions about what will happen to the sizable fortune she was scheduled to inherit on her 30th birthday. Bobbie Kristina was the sole beneficiary of her mother’s will and estimated $20 million estate. At the time of Houston’s death, her daughter inherited roughly $2 million and, per Houston’s will, was to inherit additional estate assets at age 25 and the remaining millions at age 30.
While it hasn’t been confirmed, it’s highly unlikely that the young 22 year old had a will. What is likely, however, is that future legal battles will be waged over who is entitled to receive a portion of Bobbie Kristina’s yet-to-be inherited assets with some speculating that lawsuits will soon be filed by Houston’s surviving family members, Bobby Brown and possibly Bobbie Kristina’s disputed husband Nick Gordon.
In the coming months, we’ll continue to discuss this ensuing estate battle as family members, attorneys and judges attempt to determine who should now inherit the $20 million estate.
Source: USA Today, “Who will inherit Whitney Houston’s millions?,” Maria Puente, July 27, 2015
