Entertainment

The Key Players in the Bobbi Kristina Brown Saga

Published

10 years ago

February 13, 2015

In this Feb. 12, 2011, file photo, singer Whitney Houston, left, and daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown arrive at an event in Beverly Hills, Calif. Messages of support were being offered Monday, Feb. 2, 2015, as people awaited word on Brown, who authorities say was found face down and unresponsive in a bathtub over the weekend in a suburban Atlanta home. (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg, File)

JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr., Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) — Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of the late Whitney Houston and the only child between Houston and ex-husband Bobby Brown, has been hospitalized since she was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her suburban Atlanta home on Jan. 31.

Some facts about her and others associated with her:

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BOBBI KRISTINA BROWN

She spent her entire life in the spotlight generated by Houston and Bobby Brown. She attended award shows and appeared on red carpets alongside them, and performed “My Love Is Your Love” along with her superstar mother in 2009. Bobbi Kristina wanted to become a singer and actor just like Houston, who died three years ago. But her career never took off. She ended up becoming a social media sensation, sending more than 11,000 tweets and attracting 164,000 followers. She often claimed she was married to her partner, Nick Gordon, the orphaned young man she grew up with after Houston brought him into the family. She is the sole inheritor of Houston’s estate.

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NICK GORDON

Bobbi Kristina was living with Gordon at the townhome where she was found in a bathtub. Police say Gordon performed CPR on her while a friend called 911. Houston brought Gordon into her household as an orphan at the age of 12, raising him and her daughter after divorcing Bobby Brown in 2007. Gordon wore a large tattoo of Houston’s face on his arm and called the singer “mom,” but she never fully adopted him or included him in the will. After Houston’s death, Gordon and Bobbi Kristina went public with their romance. Bobby Brown says his daughter isn’t and never has been married to Gordon.

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BOBBY BROWN

The father of 21-year-old Bobbi Kristina. The former New Edition member and soul singer tied the knot with Whitney Houston in 1992, but their marriage was a tumultuous one. The two divorced in 2007. The 46-year-old Brown was known for a bad-boy image but also became a huge star, selling platinum records with New Edition and going solo before drugs and legal woes derailed his career.

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PATRICIA HOUSTON

Whitney Houston’s sister-in-law and manager, married to Whitney Houston’s brother Gary. After the late singer’s death in 2012, Patricia was appointed administrator of the trust fund Whitney Houston set up for Bobbi Kristina. Gordon and Bobbi Kristina’s announcement of their marriage on social media troubled Patricia, who always viewed the two as brother and sister. She eventually obtained a restraining order against Gordon, effective through April.

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MAXWELL LOMAS

Lomas, 24, of Duluth, Georgia, was listed in the police report as being at Bobbi Kristina and Nick Gordon’s home when investigators arrived. He claims he was the one that found Bobbi Kristina face-down in the bathtub. Lomas has had a checkered past. Last month, he was arrested and charged with weapons offenses, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a prescription anxiety medication. Lomas pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to his attorney, who said the arrest is unrelated to Brown being found in the bathtub.

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Activism

S.F. Businesswomen Honor Trailblazers at 44th Annual Sojourner Truth Awards and Scholarship Luncheon

This year’s well-deserved award recipients were women who graciously and continuously have served and empowered the Bayview community and beyond.

Published

7 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Carletta Jackson-Lane, 21st Western District governor of the National Association of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, Inc. sits with honoree Carol E. Tatum the 2025 Sojourner Truth Award recipient of the NAB&PW, Inc. Photo courtesy of Sheryl Smith.

By Rev. Dr. Rochelle Frazier
Special to The Post

On Saturday, April 19, the San Francisco Business and Professional Women’s Club (SFBPWC) held its sold-out 44th Annual Sojourner Truth Awards and Scholarship Luncheon at the Southeast Community Center at 1550 Evans Ave. in San Francisco.

The luncheon’s theme was “Moving Forward with a Purpose: From Trailblazers to Game Changers.”

This year’s well-deserved award recipients were women who graciously and continuously have served and empowered the Bayview community and beyond.

Carol Evora Tatum received the National Sojourner Truth Meritorious Service Award for her decades of leadership and dedicated community service.

Brittany Doyle, founder and CEO of WISE Health SF, was honored as the Businesswoman of the Year because of her insightful and innovative business acumen regarding community-centered health programs.

La Shon A. Walker was recognized as the Professional Woman of the Year for her community empowerment and leadership work as the vice president of Community Affairs at FivePoint.

The luncheon also provides an opportunity to present scholarships to well-deserving students. The scholarship awardees were Jayana Harbor and Zari Moore, both graduating from Immaculate Conception Academy, and London Robinson, who is graduating from Raoul Wallenberg Traditional High School.

Harbor plans to attend Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland; Moore will attend Loyola University in New Orleans, and Robinson will attend Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“The 44th Annual Sojourner Truth Awards and Scholarship Luncheon is more than a celebration,” said Cheryl Smith, president of SFBPWC. “It’s a tribute to the legacy of Black women who have paved the way and made a commitment to uplifting future generations. We are proud to honor extraordinary leaders in our community and invest in the bright minds who will carry us into the future.”

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Activism

In 30 Years, Supporters of Swim A Mile | Move A Mile for Women with Cancer Raised $8 Million

Over the last 30 years, participants have raised over $8 million and moved more than 14,000 miles—the equivalent of crossing the United States more than five times. All in support of WCRC’s free cancer services in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Published

7 hours ago

April 27, 2025

Oakland Post

Supporters of the Swim A Mile | Move A Mile campaign over the years. At left are swimmers from 2023 and from 2001 (?) at right. Courtesy photos.

By Kate Eaneman
Special to The Post

When staff at the Women’s Cancer Resource Center started a fundraiser in 1995, they weren’t trying to create a high-profile event. They just wanted something meaningful: something that could bring people together to raise funds for East Bay women facing cancer.

They called it the Swim A Mile for Women with Cancer. There were no rankings, no competition, no stopwatch at the end of the lane. Just people swimming a mile at their own pace, in honor or memory of someone they cared about, and raising what they could to support WCRC’s work.

In the years since, the event has shifted and stretched. It’s been held at several pools across the East Bay, including Holy Names and its current home at Northeastern University in Oakland, formerly Mills College. For a few years, a second swim was held in Marin.

And in 2020, the event changed again — this time, out of necessity. With the pandemic forcing large gatherings to stop. It also meant, however, that opportunities were opened. People were invited to swim, walk, or move a mile however and wherever they could. That year, the event became the Swim A Mile | Move A Mile for Women with Cancer, and the name has stuck.

Some participants now ‘move their mile’ from neighborhood parks or home treadmills. Others return to the pool each spring. Whichever they take part, everyone fundraises. That money makes up more than a quarter of WCRC’s annual budget.

WCRC was founded in 1986 to serve people facing cancer who were often left out of traditional systems of care. Most clients today are low-income, and the majority are women of color over the age of 50.

The organization provides free therapy, support groups, wellness classes, and patient navigation, all rooted in cultural humility and community connection.

What has kept the event going isn’t marketing or corporate backing. It’s people, many of whom come back year after year. Some swim to honor a friend or family member. Others move in memory of someone they lost. For some, it’s a tradition that’s lasted across generations.

Janet started participating in 1997. At the time, she swam with her children. Now, her grandchildren take part, too. “Yes—it’s my very loving and supportive family,” she said.

She continues to participate each year because she believes in the work. “Raising money to support the services offered by the WCRC keeps me feeling good.” When asked what has stayed with her over the years, she answered simply: “Resiliency and community.”

That’s what Swim A Mile | Move A Mile has represented for 30 years. Not a race. Not a performance. Just people moving together for something that matters.

The 30th annual Swim A Mile | Move A Mile for Women with Cancer will be held May 3–4 at Northeastern University in Oakland (formerly Mills College).

To register, volunteer, or learn more, visit: wcrc.org/swim.