A judge has ordered Nick Gordon to pay $36million (£29million) to the family of Bobbi Kristina Brown in a wrongful death case. Bobbi Kristina – the only child of the late Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown – was found unresponsive in her bathtub in Atlanta in January 2015, and passed away in July that same year aged just 22.
Boyfriend Nick was accused by her family of causing her death; he denied any wrongdoing and was never charged with a crime. But her estate later filed a $50million wrongful death lawsuit against him.
Nick Gordon has been ordered to pay $36million to the family of Bobbi Kristina Brown
Nick was found liable in September because he failed to appear in court on two scheduled dates; Fulton County Superior Court Judge T. Jackson ruled that anything alleged by the plaintiff was admitted through omission.
In a statement, Bobbi Kristina's father Bobby said: "I am pleased with the outcome of today's court proceedings.
"I do know that Mr. Gordon will be unable to slander my daughter's name in the future, or obtain any benefits from the use of Krissy's name. Finally I do need for the District Attorney's Office to step up and begin the criminal prosecution of Mr. Gordon. The delay in that matter is of great concern to me and my family."
Bobbi Kristina was the only child of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown
The $36million awarded includes $15mllion for present value of life, $13.8million for pain and suffering, and $1.37million for assault and battery. The lawsuit had alleged that Bobbi Kristina "died due to a violent altercation" with Nick, "after which he placed her in a bathtub, unconscious, after he injected her with a toxic mixture".
"We intend to pursue, with all vigour, the full collection of the judgement," Bobbi Kristina's estate attorney said in a statement to E! News. "The defendant will not escape justice nor ever profit from his misdeed. We hope in some small way that this will allow Krissy's family to continue their quest for peace."