Bobby Brown is paying tribute to his late mother-in-law, Cissy Houston, following her death at 91.
Brown, 55, married to Cissy’s late daughter, Whitney Houston, from 1992 to 2007. The New Edition star shared a joint statement with his wife, Alicia Etheredge-Brown, about Cissy’s passing on Monday.
“Sending love and blessings to the Houston family on this great loss,” the statement to People. “May she rest in Peace and Power. The Browns.”
The Post has reached out to Brown’s rep.
Brown and Whitney’s tumultuous relationship started when they met at the Soul Train Music Awards in 1989. Whitney’s future in the music industry seemed endless at the time, and Brown was labeled a bad boy. She was instantly attracted to him.
“He was hot, he was on fire,” Houston told Rolling Stone of their initial meeting. “I and some friends of mine were sitting behind him. I was hugging them, we were laughing, and I kept hitting Bobby in the back of the head… I leaned over and said, ‘Bobby, I’m so sorry.’ And he turned around and looked at me like, ‘Yeah, well, just don’t let it happen again.’ And I was like, ‘Oooooh, this guy doesn’t like me.’ Well, I always get curious when somebody doesn’t like me.”
Despite the odds, Bobby and Whitney married in July 1992 at the “Queen of the Night” singer’s estate in Mendham, New Jersey. However, their 14-year marriage was plagued with accusations of infidelity, allegations of physical abuse and heavy drug addiction until their divorce in April 2007.
They welcomed their only child together, daughter Bobbi Kristina, in March 1993. Sadly, she passed away in July 2015 from a combination of drowning and drug intoxication, just three years after Whitney died. Eerily, the mother-daughter pair passed away in almost an identical manner.
Whitney’s death on Feb. 11, 2012, was ruled an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors.
Cissy stayed protective of Whitney over the years, even calling Brown’s shocking 20/20 interview about his life with his ex-wife “disgusting.”
“I am deeply disappointed that this interview to promote the story of Bobby’s life seemed to be more of an exposé on Whitney’s life,” Cissy said at the time.
On Monday, Oct. 7, the Houston family confirmed Cissy’s death at 91 after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. The gospel icon passed away at her home in New Jersey while in hospice care.
“Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness. We loss the matriarch of our family,” her daughter-in-law Pat Houston said in a statement. “Mother Cissy has been a strong and towering figure in our lives. A woman of deep faith and conviction, who cared greatly about family, ministry, and community. Her more than seven-decade career in music and entertainment will remain at the forefront of our hearts.”
Pat added, “Her contributions to popular music and culture are unparalleled . We are blessed and grateful that God allowed her to spend so many years with us and we are thankful for all the many valuable life lessons that she taught us. May she rest in peace, alongside her daughter, Whitney and granddaughter Bobbi Kristina and other cherished family members.”
Cissy was a two-time Grammy winner who gained popularity in the ’60s during her time in The Sweet Inspirations alongside Doris Troy and her niece Dee Dee Warwick. Over her legendary career, she was a backup singer for Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Paul Simon, Bette Midler, and Luther Vandross, among others.
Cissy was married twice.
Her first ex-husband was NBA basketball player Gary Garland, whom she wed from 1955 to 1997. They share one son named Gary. Cissy’s second ex-husband was Whitney’s father, John Russell Houston. They also had a son, Michael. The pair legally separated in 1991. John died in 2003.
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