‘Strong Evidence of Foul Play’ in Bobbi Kristina Brown’s Drowning, Aunt Says

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Bobbi Kristina Brown’s aunt, Leolah Brown, publicly claimed on Saturday that her niece’s boyfriend, Nick Gordon, is under investigation for “attempted murder” in connection with the 22-year-old’s near drowning.

Brown made the claim on Facebook after it was revealed that Gordon would be taking part in an intervention that will be aired during an episode of The Dr. Phil Show on March 11. A source told PEOPLE that a “distraught” Brown had already checked into rehab following the appearance.

Brown’s post, which was directed to Dr. Phil, took issue with the fact that Gordon was appearing on the show.

“Nick Gordon is under investigation for the attempted murder of my niece Bobbi Kristina Brown,” she wrote. “We have strong evidence of foul play. Until this investigation is completed by law enforcement, I would ask that you or anyone else not provide this individual a platform to spin this situation to his benefit.

“If Nick Gordon does not have the courage to speak with my brother Bobby Brown and/or law enforcement about what happened the day my niece’s body was found in a bathtub, he does not deserve to have a platform to speak to anyone of your caliber until this investigation is concluded,” Brown continued.

Police had previously confirmed to PEOPLE that they have launched an investigation into the Jan. 31 near drowning of Bobbi Kristina, but they did not confirm if Gordon was directly under investigation.

Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant said that the police are “going to follow the evidence and see where it leads us.”

See Bobbi Kristina Brown and Her Family in Photos

Various - 1993
Whitney Houston holds her daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown on June 15, 1993. Eugene Adebari—REX USA
Bobbi Kristina Brown;Whitney Houston;Bobby Brown [& Family]
Whitney Houston sits with singer husband Bobby Brown who is holding their daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown in Jan. 1994.Ron Wolfson—The LIFE Images Collection/Getty Images
Eighth Annual Soul Train Music Awards - Arrivals
Singer Bobby Brown and daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown attend the Eighth Annual Soul Train Music Awards on March 15, 1994 at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles.Ron Galella—WireImage
WHITNEY HOUSTON ACCEPTS AWARD AT BET AWARDS IN LAS VEGAS.
Whitney Houston accepts the Lifetime Achievement Award at the first annual Black Entertainment Television (BET) awards show at the Paris Las Vegas hotel-casino in Las Vegas on June 19, 2001.Reuters
Being Bobby Brown
The Brown family poses for a portrait for their reality television show 'Being Bobby Brown.' Left to Right: Pops Brown, Whitney Houston, Tommy Brown, Bobby Brown Jr., La'princia Brown, Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina Brown.F. Scott Schafer—NBC/Getty Images
Whitney Houston In Concert
Bobbi Kristina Brown and Whitney Houston perform in Central Park on Sept. 1, 2009 in New York City. Ben Hider—Getty Images
The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards - Salute To Icons Honoring David Geffen - Inside
From Left: Singer Whitney Houston, Singer Dionne Warwick and Bobbi Kristina Brown arrive at the 2011 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and Salute To Industry Icons on Feb. 12, 2011 in Beverly Hills.Larry Busacca—Getty Images
Bobbi Kristina Brown is reportedly "fighting for her life" as she remains hospitalized after being found unconscious in her Georgia home (File Photos) **NO DIALY MAIL SALES**
Bobbi Kristina Brown joins her mother Whitney Houston in Jan. 2012 on an outing in Beverly Hills.Splash News/Corbis
We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute to Whitney Houston - Backstage
Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown attend "We Will Always Love You: A GRAMMY Salute to Whitney Houston" at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on Oct. 11, 2012 in Los Angeles.Christopher Polk—WireImage

Gordon’s feud with Bobbi Kristina’s family – and specifically, Bobby Brown –intensified in late February when he took to Twitter to demand that Bobby allow him to see Bobbi Kristina in the hospital.

Bobby’s lawyers fired back at Gordon, saying that he had failed to meet the terms of a possible visit, which reportedly included explaining the circumstances surrounding Bobbi Kristina’s near drowning. Gordon’s attorneys claimed that Bobby couldn’t guarantee access to Bobbi Kristina, so they had advised Gordon to not meet those conditions.

“Per his own words, Mr. Brown has only ‘offered an opportunity to potentially meet with Bobbi Kristina’ if Nick were to meet certain conditions, conditions that we, his attorneys, have advised him not to meet, particularly in light of Mr. Brown’s inability to guarantee access.”

A family source previously told PEOPLE that “foul play is being investigated” including “drug use and possibly cover up to remove evidence from the crime scene.”

TMZ reported on Feb. 6 that Max Lomas, a friend who was with Gordon when they discovered Bobbi Kristina unresponsive in a bathtub, had seen Gordon cleaning blood stains.

Gordon and Bobbi Kristina first went public with their romance in 2012, shortly after Bobbi Kristina’s mother, Whitney Houston passed away. The pair dated on and off over the years and Brown referred to Gordon as her “husband” on social media. However, Bobby’s lawyers say that the two were never legally married.

A source close to the family described Bobbi Kristina and Gordon’s relationship as “toxic” and “codependent.”

However, the source adds that Bobbi Kristina felt Gordon was the only person she could trust, “so even though they argued, she always went back to him.”

Gordon’s lawyer was unavailable for comment.

This article was originally published on PEOPLE.com

 

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