ATLANTA, Sept. 16 (UPI) — The ex-boyfriend of Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of singers Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, was civilly liable for the 22-year-old’s death last year, a judge ruled Friday.
Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson Bedford made the decision in an Atlanta court Friday, after defendant Nick Gordon failed to show up for the hearing in the wrongful death case.
Friday was the second time Gordon was a no-show in court, and Bedford ruled that means he legally admits to the allegations made by plaintiffs, through his absence.
The judge will now determine the financial penalty. The plaintiff, Brown’s father, sought $50 million in the suit.
“In court today, we finally finished a long journey for justice for Bobbi Kristina Brown,” Brown’s estate attorney R. David Ware said outside court. “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.”
“I am pleased with the outcome of today’s court proceedings,” Bobby Brown told People magazine. “All I ever wanted was answers relating to who and what caused my daughter’s death.
“Today’s judgment tells me it was Nick Gordon. Now I need to process all the emotions I have and lean on God to get me and my family through this.”
Bobbi Brown was found unresponsive in her home in January 2015. She died six months later after she was put in a medically induced coma. The Brown family alleges that Gordon gave her a toxic combination of drugs and put her in a bathtub.
Atlanta authorities continue to investigate the case but so far no criminal charges have been filed against Gordon.
