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Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown
A Georgia judge has found Nick Gordon “legally responsible” in the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown, after Gordon failed to appear in court.
Bobbi Kristina Brown was the daughter of Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown. In January 2015, she was found unresponsive in a bathtub in her home in Roswell, Georgia. Brown never regained consciousness over the next several months and died in August 2015.
Results of an autopsy released in March 2016 showed that a cocktail of toxic substances contributed to Brown’s death. The drugs in play included alcohol, marijuana, benzodiazepines, benzolecgonine (a substance similar to cocaine), and morphine.
The conservator of Brown’s estate filed a wrongful death civil suit against Nick Gordon, Brown’s long-term boyfriend. The lawsuit included accusations of “assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and transferring money from Brown’s account into [Gordon’s] without authorization.” It also alleged that Gordon injected Brown with a “toxic mixture,” dumped her unconscious body into the bathtub, and left her there to die.
Gordon was set to appear before a judge in Fulton County, GA on Friday. However, he didn’t show up. Because Gordon has failed to appear twice, the judge ruled that anything alleged by the plaintiff was “admitted by omission,” holding Gordon “legally responsible” for Brown’s death.
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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s loved ones celebrated the court’s findings. R. David Ware, a lawyer for Brown’s estate’s conservator, spoke outside of court.
“We finally finished a long journey for justice for Bobbi Kristina Brown,” Ware said. “The court agrees with us, by striking Mr Gordon’s answer, that he is legally responsible for her death. The only thing left to prove is the value of her life. We intend to do that.”
It’s now up to a jury to determine the damages due to the Brown estate. The suit sought $50 million in damages.
No criminal charges have been filed against Gordon. Ware and his clients seem to be comfortable with that fact.
“It’s not a criminal case but it doesn’t have to be,” Ware said. “We want to legally establish [Gordon] was responsible for [the] injuries that preceded [Brown’s] death and we’ve done that today.”
Photo: www.thewrap.com
