Celebrity News September 16, 2016
Judge Rules Nick Gordon Is ‘Legally Responsible’ for Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Death
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UPDATE: Bobby Brown told "Extra" in a statement, “I am pleased with the outcome of today's court proceedings. 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 Kristina Brown's boyfriend Nick Gordon is “legally responsible” for her death, a judge has ruled.
The ruling was made after Gordon failed to appear for a court hearing on Friday. It wasn't the first time he missed a court date.
In August last year, Gordon was faced with a wrongful death civil lawsuit from Brown's conservator. In the $50-million lawsuit, Nick was accused of assault, battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and transferring money from Bobbi Kristina's account into his own without permission. Bobbi Kristina, the only daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, died July 26, 2015, after she was found unconscious in a tub in January 2015.
At the time, Brown's former attorney Jose Baez said, "We have repeatedly said that Nick Gordon is innocent of any wrongdoing. He has not been charged with any crime. Enough is enough; let's end this baseless speculation."
After the decision, a lawyer for Brown's family said, “In court today, we finally finished a long journey for justice for Bobbi Kristina Brown. 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.” Watch!
#BREAKING - Attorney for estate of #BobbyKristinaBrown says Nick Gordon will pay for ignoring court. #11Alive pic.twitter.com/AbvyLi6EDH
@11AliveMike
The lawyer added, “It's not a criminal case but it doesn't have to be. We want to legally establish he was responsible for her injuries the proceeded her death and we've done that today. “
Bobbi Kristina's family released a statement to People, saying, “We are praising God. This has been a long time coming. But all the judgments in the world won't bring Krissy back. We miss her every single day," the statement continued. "Even when there's justice, it's not comfort. She was gone too soon, and we all have to live with that. I hope Nick lives with it every day for the rest of his life, because we sure are.”
Despite the ruling, Nick has not been charged for Bobbi Kristina's death. A source in the Fulton County District Attorney office explained to People, "This won't change anything in the criminal case. Generally speaking, it tends to the other way around: a criminal conviction is used in a civil case," the source explains. "Obviously, if he had taken the stand in a civil case, we could have used what he said. But that's not what happened here. The case is still ongoing, but there are no new updates at this time."
