What Did Cissy Houston Write to Her Granddaughter Bobbi Kristina After Their Relationship Fractured?

Relationship tension emerged between Cissy Houston and her granddaughter Bobbi Kristina Brown following a public argument. Learn how their relationship changed after Whitney Houston passed away and how Cissy made an effort to mend her relationship with her grandchild.

The passing of her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown and her granddaughter Cissy Houston, the mother of the late Whitney Houston, left her grieving. After Whitney’s passing, a public argument caused Cissy and Bobbi to become strained in their relationship.

In an attempt to mend their damaged relationship, Cissy penned an emotional open letter to her granddaughter. Examine their connection more closely, noting their disagreements as well as the touching letters Cissy addressed to Bobbi in an effort to make amends.

Cissy Houston and Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Tragic Passings

Whitney Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, died suddenly at the age of 91. Because of her Alzheimer’s, she was getting hospice care when she passed away quietly at home in New Jersey.

Pat Houston, her daughter-in-law, announced her death and said, in part, “Our hearts are filled with pain and sadness.” Our family’s matriarch passed away.” Cissy was also characterized by Pat as a devout, strong woman who genuinely loved her family and the neighborhood.

Cissy’s musical career started in church, where her father encouraged her to sing, after she was born Emily Drinkard in 1933. She rose to fame with her siblings in The Drinkard Singers and then with her nieces Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick when she joined The Sweet Inspirations.

The ensemble supported music icons like Otis Redding and Elvis Presley with backing vocals. After going solo, Cissy released her debut album in 1970 and won several Grammy Awards, including Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album in 1997.

Cissy experienced tremendous grief in her personal life despite her professional life being full of accomplishments. Three years after the untimely death of her mother, Bobbi Kristina Brown, her granddaughter, passed away in 2015 at the young age of 22.

Days before she was discovered unconscious on January 31, 2015, Bobbi, Whitney and ex-husband Bobby Brown’s only child together, was involved in a car accident on January 27, 2015.

She lost control of her Jeep in Roswell, Georgia, causing it to crash into another car and injuring two people. A few days later, Bobbi’s friend Max Lomas and her husband-to-be, Nick Gordon, found her unconscious in her house.

Before dying in July 2015, she spent months in a coma that was medically induced. Bobbi’s demise was similar to her mother’s, who was also discovered comatose in a bathtub, in sad circumstances.

Lisa Holland of the Roswell Police Department said, “Obviously we all know her mom died this very same way.” Cissy visited Bobbi in the hospital and was by her side until her last days.

Cissy clung to hope and faith despite the grim circumstances, saying, “I’m ready for whatever the Lord decides, even though she’s not gone yet.That is not related to me at all. That’s what He does. You know that it’s His territory? And I get it.”

A Fractured Relationship

Cissy’s granddaughter and her grandmother had a strained relationship in the years after Whitney passed away, especially when Cissy’s memoir was published.

Cissy received a book deal shortly after the “I Will Always Love You” singer passed away, and her autobiography, “Remembering Whitney,” was published in February 2013. The book claimed to provide readers with an intimate glimpse into Whitney’s life, showcasing both her high points and low points.

In a statement, Cissy said, “When I lost my daughter Nippy, the world lost one of the most beautiful voices and an extraordinarily beautiful and charitable woman.” Cissy hoped the memoir will help people understand her daughter better. But Bobbi wasn’t fond of the book.

“ANYTHING concerning mygrandmothersBook•I&@nickdgordon OFCOURSE personally haveNOTHING2dowith• I ask you pls RESPECT tht• Haven’t read & won’t [sic],” she said on social media to express her disappointment.

“I find it 2B Disrespect2MYMOTHER & me being herdauGHTER won’t tolerate it,” said a different social media post. I sincerely appreciate your support, though, and I’m very grateful for it.

Cissy knew how her granddaughter felt about the autobiography. She admitted that Bobbi didn’t want her to write the book in an Oprah Winfrey interview. When Oprah questioned whether it was true that Bobbi wasn’t fond of it, she replied, “That’s what I heard.”

Cissy’s admission that she didn’t appreciate how her granddaughter was depicted on “The Houstons: On Our Own,” a reality TV program starring Bobbi, further exposed their tense relationship.

Cissy’s Open Letter to Bobbi

A few months following the publication of “Remembering Whitney,” Cissy made a sincere effort to patch up her broken connection with Bobbi. Bobbi thought the book “disrespectful,” but Cissy still wanted to be in touch with her granddaughter.

Cissy wrote Bobbi, or “Krissi” as she affectionately nicknamed her, an open letter outlining her motivations for penning the book. Her writing style was “[…] I just wanted to let the world see some of My Nippy,” using Whitney’s alias.

Cissy hoped that eventually Bobbi would see that the memoir was just intended to tell the world Whitney’s genuine tale, not to harm her. The letter also discussed Bobbi’s connection with Nick, the guy Bobbi thought of as her partner but who was sometimes referred to as her adoptive brother.

Concerned about Bobbi’s engagement, Cissy said, “Krissi, I only want the best for you—happiness and good health. Do I wish for you to soon tie the knot? No, I don’t. I hope you would wait because I think you’re too young.”

“But that’s because I’m Grandma,” Cissy wrote, expressing her protective grandmotherly concern about whether Nick or any other man was genuinely suitable for her granddaughter. I should be concerned about you.

During the same time, Cissy thought back on the passing of her daughter and the ongoing grief that resulted from her loss. “I think I was a great mother, and I still do wonder if I could have saved her somehow,” she stated.

Cissy regretted Whitney having to pass away alone and in the state that she was discovered in, and she wished she could have spared her daughter.

The gospel singer said, “Nobody is born to a woman who says, ‘I want my daughter to be a drug addict.’” She also shared her sadness over Whitney Houston’s troubles. I took all the actions that I believed were morally correct.”

The passing of Cissy Houston’s granddaughter and daughter characterized her final years. As evidenced by her open letter, however, Cissy’s love for Bobbi endured throughout their strained relationship. It was a grandmother’s request for comprehension, believing that eventually Bobbi would comprehend the motivations behind her behavior.