Paul Archuleta/Getty, Tiffany Rose/WireImage
The Grammy-winningNew Editionsinger, 55, and wife Alicia Etheredge-Brown recently celebrated the life of his late daughterBobbi Kristina, hosting the fourth annual Bobbi Kristina Serenity House Gala: A Night of Inspiration, Empowerment, and Hope in Los Angeles on March 4.
“It was a beautiful night, beautiful occasion,” he tells PEOPLE exclusively of the charity event that raises funds for domestic violence centers. “It meant everything to me to see all the faces and see all the supporters that care about what we care about, because it’s getting rough out there for a lot of different people, and it’s just good to have support, to help try to eradicate domestic violence.”
Bobbi Kristina died at age 22 in 2015 months after being found unresponsive in a bathtub in the home she shared with ex Nick Gordon — an eerie parallel tothe way her mother had died several years earlier.
“My daughter was a part of a domestic violence situation, and it cost her her life, so that’s mainly why we did this,” Brown says, sharing his views on Bobbi Kristina’s relationship with Gordon, who died from a heroin overdose in 2020 at age 30. “She’s always on my heart. She’s always on my mind, and just to help others in her honor really helps me, it’s therapeutic somewhat to me.”
“That’s a reoccurring thing that goes on when I’m asleep,” he says. “I tend to dream about both of ‘em, my son and my daughter, which is helpful for me. Just being able to see their faces and I see ‘em smiling, it helps me out in a big way.”
Another thing helping Brown, who is father to five other children, is actual therapy. “I still see a therapist,” he says. “Just being able to talk about it definitely helps out. Also prayer always works. And staying busy. I try to keep myself as busy as possible, doing different things.”
New Edition.Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
A moment of joy recently has been New Edition’s renaissance: The beloved R&B group was recently entered into the Hall of Fame at the NAACP Image Awards.
And soon theirhit residencyin Las Vegas will return for a second run at the Wynn Encore.
“It’s been a way for me to get myself in order,” he says of returning to the stage. “Being around my fellas was a lot of fun.”
source: people.com
