Brown issued a statement explaining why he walked out of the funeral service shortly after it began.
View full sizeBobby Brown, former husband of the late Whitney Houston performs with New Edition at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn. on Saturday, Feb. 18, 2012. During an introduction segment between songs, Brown pointed skyward and offered blessings for his ex-wife and said he loved her. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Following his brief appearance at ex-wife Whitney Houston's funeral Saturday in Newark, N.J., Bobby Brown performed hours later with New Edition at the Mohegan Sun Arena.
Joining the show late in planned fashion, Brown strolled on 10 minutes into the concert for "Hit Me Off " his rough growl a little rougher than the old days. He embraced his five bandmates with an easy smile, and when he addressed the crowd, he soaked in its adulation before offering a brief reference to his place in the news, USA Today reported.
"I want to give blessings to my ex-wife, Whitney Houston, I love you. I want to give blessings to my kids, my fiancée (Alicia Etheridge), my brothers, and each of you."
Brown left Houston’s funeral at New Hope Baptist Church shortly after the service began Saturday afternoon.
In a statement reported by ABC News, he explained, “My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston. We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions.
“I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move,” he said. “Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi-Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. My children are completely distraught over the events. This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur. I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how.”
In the aftermath of Houston’s death on Feb. 11 in a Beverly Hills hotel room, the New Edition tour with Brown was uncertain.
He performed in Mississippi the night Houston died, but skipped subsequent concerts in Cincinnati and Nashville. He rejoined New Edition later in the week for concert dates in Memphis, Baltimore and Greensboro.
Houston and Brown divorced in 2007 after a 14-year tumultuous union. They had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.
In 2008, a financially strapped Brown sued Houston for spousal support and joint custody of their daughter, and for a time he was in arrears in support for a child from a previous marriage.
Brown has a checkered legal past with charges of assault against Houston, traffic violations, drug use and driving under the influence.
He has bristled at reports that he contributed to Houston's downfall.
“I never used cocaine until after I met Whitney. Before then, I had experimented with other drugs, but marijuana was my drug of choice,” Brown wrote in “Bobby Brown: The Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But.” "At one point in my life, I used drugs uncontrollably. I was using everything I could get my hands on, from cocaine to heroin, weed and cooked cocaine."
Houston battled substance abuse and reports of erratic behavior over the past two decades. The cause of her death has not been determined, pending the conclusion of toxicology tests.