Whitney Houston’s death was an unexpected national heartbreak. For Bobbi Kristina Brown, Houston’s 19-year-old daughter, the loss is impossible to fathom, especially as the tragedy has propelled her name into headlines.
Brown’s coping mechanism is the most debated topic of conversation in every pop culture blog, headline and broadcast. Her rumored engagement has America even more concerned for Houston’s estranged daughter.
Rumors of her engagement to her “adopted brother” Nick Gordon, 22, began surfacing last week when they were spotted shopping together. A $250,000 rock was hard to miss on Brown’s left hand, prompting gossip that the two had become engaged.
The two have been close ever since Houston took Gordon in 10 years ago, when he was having family problems. Although Houston did not formally adopt Gordon, she regarded him as an “adopted son.” But his joining the family did not burgeon into a traditional brother-sister bond, though. Just the opposite.
Brown and Gordon have become “inseparable,” according to ABC News, showing massive amounts of public affection, hugging and kissing in an unmistakably romantic fashion since Houston’s Feb. 11 death.
Brown’s romance is not the everyday love story. It’s quite the contrary, with a lot of room for criticism. A woman getting married to someone who was as close to her as a sibling does not scream normal in today’s society. But the relationship seems justifiable.
Maybe it’s a coping behavior or maybe it’s a deeply romantic tale. Both hypotheses make the questionable relationship seem acceptable.
The beauty behind Brown and Gordon’s relationship is most definitely in the eye of the beholder. Looking past the initial shock of first hearing that an adopted brother and sister are engaged will lead to a more understanding opinion of the relationship.
Friends and family of the couple refused to believe the obnoxious media concoction about their friends in grief until actual pictures and videos of them kissing were released, according to the New York Daily News.
Much like Romeo and Juliet, Brown and Gordon had only each other to lean on without the support and optimism from their relatives. The engagement rumors have been squashed by Brown’s rep, who said Brown has just been wearing Houston’s old ring but the romance remains alive.
Both the rumored engagement and also the real romance between Houston’s daughter and the boy she regarded as a son have thrown society a bone to pick. It is easy to determine the abnormality of Brown’s boyfriend choice as a coping phase, something that will fade away in time with healing. But the romance may actually be genuine and have future, long-term potential.
Brown turned to the person she trusted and leaned on most, who happened to grow up with her the way a brother would. It seems incestuous at first.
Someone considered a “true romantic” might find true happiness for the couple. Since their relationship has surfaced at such a time of tragedy, during which Brown’s every move is being analyzed, it is logical to assume that she is acting out of grief.
However, if the pseudo-siblings of 10 years have always been romantically involved, this is the perfect opportunity to challenge America’s perceptions of love and lust.
— Caroline Nachazel is a junior studying journalism and communication. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu or on Twitter via @WildcatOpinions .
