Why Bobby Brown bailed from Whitney Houston’s funeral
BY BILL ZWECKER February 19, 2012 8:55PM
Singer Bobby Brown speaks to an unidentified woman Saturday outside the funeral of his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, in Newark, N.J. | MEL EVANS~AP
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Updated: March 21, 2012 8:13AM
The confusion surrounding Bobby Brown’s exit from ex-wife Whitney Houston’s funeral Saturday in Newark is well-documented, but apparently there was even more drama behind the scenes.
Houston’s mother, Cissy Houston, originally insisted he not attend the services but was convinced it was better not to ban him — as long as he didn’t bring his usual “posse of gangstas” (as a source quoted Whitney’s mother as demanding.)
As we know, it was Brown’s “posse” of nine people (instead of the requested three) that led to the seat-shuffling he blamed for making him decide to leave. While Houston cousin Dionne Warwick, the Rev. Jesse Jackson and others attempted to smooth things over, I’ve learned Brown’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was just as happy he departed. According to a source close to the Houston family, Bobby Brown “has been on thin ice with his daughter,” and was well before Whitney died last weekend.
Among those rubbing shoulders with fellow party people Saturday were Bears coach Lovie Smith and wife, Mary Anne; Miss Illinois USA Ashley Hooks; Alexi Giannoulias; the Bears’ Charles Tillman; Second City’s Andrew Alexander; Karen and Marvin Herman; Dirk Denison; Kathy Hart; Bob Sirott and Marianne Murciano; Jan Jeffcoat, and Candace and Chuck Jordan.
TAKE A BOW: The honorees to be named “Legendary Landmarks” by Landmarks Illinois at its annual gala March 14 at the Four Seasons Chicago will be Old St. Pat’s longtime popular pastor, the Rev. Jack Wall, now president of Catholic Extension; former Economic Club of Chicago president Grace Barry, and Abbott, recipient of the inaugural corporate award.
† Ex-Chicagoan Hayes MacArthur and wife Ali Larter both have landed key roles on two Fox TV pilots. MacArthur will star in “Rebounding,” playing a pal of a guy recovering from the death of his fiancee. Larter stars in “The Asset,” playing a CIA agent posing as a globe-trotting photojournalist.
† After canceling two episodes last week to see to his ailing mother, Stephen Colbert is expected to return to “The Colbert Report” on Monday.
SEEN ON SCENE: In town doing standup at Zanies, Stephen Rannazzisi got a bit of good-natured razzing from Gibsons manager Bob Kanzler when he lunched at the Rush Street steakery late last week. Kanzler joked that while the actor’s FX series “The League” shows Gibsons’ real exterior, the interior showcased on the program is a sleazy bar — nothing like the true Gibsons interior. … Bears CEO Ted Phillips was seen dining at Le Titi de Paris. … While Andre Agassi met with Gov. Pat Quinn about his foundation’s commitment to improving public education for underserved youth, the tennis great also livened up the serious talk by telling the guv how he had hustled NFL legend Jim Brow n out of a bunch of bucks — challenging him to a tennis match when he was only 9.
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