When it comes to cable television biopics, they’re either a hit or a miss. And with the release of TV One’s biopic about the life of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s only daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, it definitely seems like it’s veering into the realm of “Who even asked for this?”
Bobbi Kristina tells the story of how she struggled with being in the shadows of her parents, particularly Houston, as well as how her life unraveled when she started a relationship with Nick Gordon.
Bobbi Kristina died in 2015, when she was just 22 years old, six months after being found unconscious in the bathroom of her Atlanta home. The autopsy showed that morphine, cocaine, alcohol and prescription drugs were in her system. But how she ended up underwater remains a mystery.
The biopic opens with news of Bobbi Kristina being found unconscious in the tub, and also includes flashbacks of Bobbi Kristina and her mom, Whitney, as well as of Bobbi Kristina’s aunt warning her about Gordon.
Bobbi Kristina’s estate filed a wrongful death suit against Gordon, and last September, he was found liable and ordered to pay $36 million to her estate.
The biopic stars Joy Rovaris as Bobbi Kristina, with Gordon portrayed by Nadji Jeter, as well as Vivica A. Fox as Pat Houston, Bobbi Kristina’s aunt. Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Demetria McKinney plays Whitney Houston, and The Wire’s Hassan Johnson is Bobby Brown.
Bobbi Kristina airs Oct. 8 on TV One.