The late Whitney Houston's presence was very much felt at the premiere of her posthumous film, Sparkle. And while the singer's daughter Bobbi Kristina led the stars paying tribute to her tragic mother, she also used the red carpet affair to show off her new romance with boyfriend Nick Gordon.
Nick was unofficially adopted by Whitney at the age of 12 and lived with the singer and her daughter as part of a family unit. Since her passing, the pair have become closer and recently started dating. On Thursday, they looked very much an item as they celebrated the late diva's film – her last ever contribution to showbusiness.
Sparkle - a remake of the 1976 original - stars the singer as the mother of three girls who form a group but struggle with fame and drug addiction. US songstress Jordin Sparks plays daughter Sparkle, and Nigerian actress Carmen Ejogo is another of Whitney's on screen daughters. Tika Sumpter completes the line up. Paying tribute, Carmen said: "Whitney's body of work is stunning, and I am so gifted to be a part of that. I believe we had a lucky time with her, because it was one of the best parts of her life."
In a touching moment, the star's daughters - real and fictional - posed together on the red carpet.
Joining Bobby Kristina were many of Whitney's closest friends who had come out to pay tribute. Gospel singer BeBe Winans was close to the family and sang at Whitney's funeral. "It's bittersweet. I'm here to celebrate, but I have my Kleenex," he said. "I can hear her words in my head, that she's proud, that she accomplished something people didn't think she could accomplish."
