The past few years have been a rollercoaster ride emotionally for R&B singer Bobby Brown. He's had his run-ins with the law over drug possession and use, went back on tour with his New Edition family, his ex-wife, famed superstar Whitney Houston, was found dead due to an apparent drug overdose and his daughter, and his daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown was found unresponsive in a bathtub only to die months later. And this is all after another set of losses Brown rarely talks about:
At 34, his sister died.
At 41, his mother died.
At 42, his dad died.
At 46, his wife died
At 49, his daughter died.
At 51, his son died.
It doesn't matter who you are, that's A LOT for any person to take.
But how does Brown manage to keep his sanity?
In a recent interview, the now 55-year-old said "angels are keeping me on the right path. What keeps me moving is that I know I have more angels now watching over me. My mom, her [Bobbi Kristina], even Whitney,”
He also said prayers from his fans have meant the world to him.
At the 2019 Essence Fest, Brown hit the main stage with RBRM (Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky & Mike) and used the opportunity to honor someone he misses very much. Before wrapping up the set, Brown made sure to remember his late daughter Bobbi Kristina with some touching words.
“I keep one of my kids right here with me,” Brown said revealing a pendant worn around his neck in her honor. “Her name is Bobbi Kristina.”
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“I keep all of [my kids] close to my heart, but this one right here,” he added, “she stays around my neck and right there near my heart.”
When reflecting on his daughter, he also reflects on his late ex-wife, the great Whitney Houston.
“Our relationship was great,” he said speaking of Whitney. “I had 14 beautiful, beautiful years with that woman.” And it’s not just his revisionist history, he insisted: “I can honestly say that — I loved that woman with — with everything that I am. And I believe she loved me the same way.”
Brown says he never used hard drugs before meeting Houston, and said that she had used drugs before they were involved. “I worried about it when … we first got together until I tried it,” he said. “And when I tried it, for some reason, I have an addictive personality.”
He does have some regrets, wondering, “I could have done something different, you know to — ensure that she had a longer life. But … you have to want it, you know?”
The 2005 single-season of the couple's reality show “Being Bobby Brown,” which put an uncomfortable spotlight on their relationship and showed Houston’s temper flaring, he says, was a “wake-up, because we were able to see what others were saying about us...And I saw that our drug use had affected our relationship, had affected the love we felt for each other.”
Houston declined to appear on the second season of the show, and the pair separated in 2006, ultimately divorcing the following year. Still, said Brown — who told Lauer despite his new wife — he still has a lot of room in his heart for his late former wife.
“My kids know how I feel … how I felt about Whitney. It’s not a secret, you know? I was in love with her deeply.”
Their tragic story is one that is full of lessons for any family dealing with loved ones who are abusing drugs.
Here are four tips to deal with a loved one who is using drugs:
Educate Yourself - Learning about the disease can help ease the anxiety, social and emotional stress that addiction can place on a family. If you or your loved one had a new cancer diagnosis, you'd likely do as much research as possible, and maybe join a support group. Addiction is no different.
Attend Family Therapy - While some support services are important for making connections with others who may be trying to navigate day-to-day life with addiction in the family, so is seeking professional therapy as a family. Meeting with a therapist as a family can help improve communication among family members.
Maintain Open Communication - Open, constructive communication is important to re-establishing and maintaining a healthy family dynamic, during and after the addicted family member's treatment.Healthy, open communication includes clear and specific statements.
Take Care of Yourself - Often people who live with a loved one suffering from addiction put the addict's needs ahead of their own. But caring for yourself first, both emotionally and physically, will not only benefit you but your family as well. Caring for yourself may include everything from reducing your stress level, getting regular sleep to eating healthy meals. Exercise can help with all three.
