Mario Anzuoni / Reuters files

The FBI has released its file on Whitney Houston.

The FBI is saving all its files for Whitney Houston fans. Responding to numerous Freedom of Information Act requests, the agency has released the 128-page record it had on the late music legend. 

And most interestingly, the documents reveal that the FBI had investigated a purported extortion attempt against Houston that ultimately led to no charges after the diva's camp apparently coughed up some dough. 

In a Dec. 3, 1992, memorandum marked "extortion" that was sent to Houston's New Jersey-based management company, Nippy Incorporated, a federal agent indicated that an attorney for an unidentified woman sent a letter the previous month to Houston and her father, John Houston, claiming his client "will reveal certain details" of Whitney's private life to several publications unless his client is paid $100,000. 

Whitney Houston dies at 48 

The lawyer then upped that amount to $250,000 in a successive letter that stipulated the woman had "intimate details regarding [the superstar's] romantic relationships." 

The would-be blackmailer offered to sign a confidentiality agreement with the "Saving All My Love" singer once she received payment. 

Surprisingly, the FBI file reveals the Houstons took her up on her offer as it includes a copy of such a confidentiality pact the woman apparently signed with Nippy Inc. in return for an undisclosed sum (the amount was redacted).

During their probe, the feds did interview Whitney, at which point she admitted confiding with the woman. However, after determining the woman's communication to Houston alone was not a violation of federal law and there was no evidence of criminality, federal investigators did not pursue a prosecution and the case was eventually closed.

Take a look back at Whitney's final interview with E!

The FBI file also included several pieces of fan mail, one of which--from an unidentified Vermont man--the authorities heavily scrutinized out of concern he might have posed a threat. In the letter, the writer professed his love to her repeatedly and said he'd contact tabloids like The National Enquirer in order "to make his love for Houston public."

"Miss Whitney, why can't you respond to my 70 plus letters," he wrote. "Miss Whitney, I really am in love with you. Please, believe me. You probably think that I am crazy. Well, meebe [sic] I am. I just can't give up."

Observed the FBI agent looking into the matter: "In conversation with [the individual] it was apparent that he is obsessed with Whitney Houston."

Whitney Houston from triumph to tragedy

The investigator went on to describe the man as a "loner," but after interviewing him, the agent concluded "he believed this 'crazy idea' would have hurt Houston's reputation so he did not follow through on it."

The FBI opted not to prosecute since the fan said he had no intention of threatening or harming Houston and would refrain from his behavior in the future.

Check out our Whitney Houston: A Life gallery 

Another letter came from a Dutch fan who wildly claimed to be the "President of Europe" and sent audio tapes to the performer, claiming she recorded a song he had composed. After being interviewed by law enforcement and warned his actions violated U.S. law, the man pledged to cease communication with Houston and that ended the matter.

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One word. Near the end of "The Greatest Love of All," the third straight Billboard No. 1 single for the 22-year-old Whitney Houston, the singer transformed the tone of the song from sweetly exalted to absolutely unstoppable. "No matter what they take from me, they can't take away myy! dig-ni-ty," she thundered on the second pass through the verse, distilling all the great gospel and soul legacy of her very talented family (mother Cissy Houston, cousins Dionne and Dee Dee Warwick, godmother Aretha Franklin) into a single syllable.

Slideshow: Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

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The co-author of the song, Linda Creed, wrote it about her own battle with breast cancer. After living with the disease for a decade, she died at age 36 in April 1986, a month before Houston's version hit the top of the charts. Houston was just getting started. Perfecting a definitively 80s brand of pop-soul -- smooth-jazz keyboards and rhythms, swelling orchestration -- she was, for a good stretch, the brightest star in an era marked by super-duper-stars.

Though she had one of the most astonishing, confident voices pop had ever heard, she also had restraint, and she dealt with criticism that her style was airbrushed. "You're not black enough for them," she explained to Katie Couric in a 1996 interview. "You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them." But Houston's voice was no appeasement, and the fact that she didn't push every line over the edge meant each of her songs contained a signature moment -- sometimes as fleeting as that "my dignity" -- when she vaulted the song into the realm of divine possession. When she was singing, she knew precisely what she was doing, always.

She hit the mark on the full-hearted pity party "All At Once," when she took the line "I looked around and found that you were with another love" up and up, like a dizzying hot-air balloon ascent. She did it on "All the Man That I Need," when her voice broke into a heart-stopping flutter on the last word of the line "He gives me more love than I've ever seen." She made patriotism sound like the greatest joy on earth with her resplendent version of "The Star-Spangled Banner." And the sustained note that centers her version of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" -- "and Aaaaah-e-aye, will always love you" -- raises the song from a bittersweet memory to the power of existence itself.

Whitney Houston lived for the moment. Sadly, it eventually led to addiction, and the ravaging of her extraordinary voice. But if gospel music was created to express those moments of pure communion with your inner truth, then Whitney Houston was undoubtedly heaven-sent.

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Getty Images file

Cissy Houston and Whitney Houston in 2010.

Whitney Houston tragically passed away just hours before mentor Clive Davis’ annual Grammy party last year (where she was scheduled to appear), sending shockwaves through the music community.

Cissy Houston, the late superstar’s mother, will not be attending Clive’s Grammy party this year, and in a new interview with Access Hollywood, the still-grieving mom said she was disgusted by the invite.

VIEW THE PHOTOS: That’s what friends are for: Whitney Houston and her famous friends

“I got an invitation to the party -- which is the most obscene thing,” Cissy told Access at the unveiling of four new wax statues of her legendary daughter at Madame Tussaud’s in New York City on Thursday. “I don’t know why they would want me to come to the party in which she died, you know? Unheard of.”

Adding, “I guess maybe he just sent me a copy for remembrance sake.”

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Stars we lost In 2012

In addition to skipping the party, Cissy will not be attending the Grammy ceremony itself, but said she will be tuning in to watch the awards on Sunday.

The Houston matriarch also opened up about the status of her relationship with granddaughter Bobbi Kristina, who recently Tweeted an angry reaction to the book Cissy recently penned about Whitney.

(“I find it 2b disrespect2mymother & me being her daughter won’t tolerate it,” Bobbi Kristina tweeted last week.)

VIEW THE PHOTOS: A look back: Whitney Houston -- her life in pictures

“She’s grieving. (She’s) really grieving,” Cissy said. “Bobbi Kris knows -- she better know -- that I love her. Anything I can do for her, I’ll be there. I wouldn’t say anything [bad] about my daughter. That’s MY daughter, whom I loved with all my heart.

“I love Krissy because she belongs to my daughter, all right?” she continued. “I think that she’s just grieving. That’s the only other thing I can say about it.”

VIEW THE PHOTOS: Sudden endings: Stars who died too soon

UPDATE: On Thursday evening, a rep for Clive Davis contacted Access Hollywood and said Pat Houston and Whitney’s brother, Gary Houston, are expected to attend the Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday night. 

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Christopher Polk / Getty Images file

Cissy Houston performed at the 2012 BET Awards on July 1, 2012, in Los Angeles, with an image of daughter Whitney behind her.

Whitney Houston's mother, Cissy, is talking about her daughter's sudden passing in a new memoir titled "Remember Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Night the Music Stopped."

In excerpts obtained by People, Cissy wrote, "I'm angry she died alone, in those conditions."

The Grammy-winning singer was found dead, face down in her bathtub, at the Beverly Hills Hilton on Feb. 11, 2012, the night before the Grammy Awards. The final coroner's report listed the cause of death as accidental drowning and "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use." The document also indicated that Houston had cocaine, marijuana, Xanax, Benadryl and muscle relaxants in her system when she passed away.

"She started partying and she didn't really know how to stop. I used to wonder what she was doing at night, where she was," Cissy also wrote. The elder Houston also wrote that her daughter "hid" from her, and that she doesn't blame the singer's ex-husband, Bobby Brown, for her drug problem.

"I blame him for the way he treated her," she wrote, according to the excerpts published in People, "but I don't blame him for her drug problems."

Watch the TODAY show Monday for Cissy Houston's appearance.

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Fred Prouser / REUTERS

Bobbi Kristina Brown and Nick Gordon.

Love will save the day -- as will family hopefully. Whitney Houston's mother, Cissy Houston, and her sister-in-law and business manager, Marion Houston, are asking a Georgia judge to modify the existing terms of the late singer's will.

Per a petition filed Sept. 25 with Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta and obtained by E! News, the duo took the action to protect Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, from those who would seek to take advantage of her. 

As executors of the estate, Cissy and Marion say in court docs that they would like to restructure the inheritance payouts to Bobbi Kristina because they're concerned that the current distribution schedule would "defeat or substantially impair" the trust's purpose of providing for her continued support and welfare. 

Read the petition

The papers state that when the will was created in 1993, the R&B offspring wasn't even born. The family members argued that because the trust has valuable assets and Bobbi Kristina is the sole beneficiary, they believe she's a "highly visible target for those who would exert undue influence over her inheritance and/or to seek to benefit from (her) resources and celebrity."

Take a look back at Whitney's life through pictures

Slideshow: Curtain calls

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It's unclear what Cissy and Marion are specifically fearful about when it comes to the budding reality star, but since Houston's tragic Feb. 11 death, Bobbi Kristina has been making headlines of her own -- and not always for the right reasons.

Whitney Houston celebrated by Bobbi Kristina, Ray J at Houston's "Sparkle" premiere

Last month, the younger Houston was involved in a serious car accident in Alpharetta, Ga., after allegedly arguing with her "adopted brother"-turned boyfriend, Nick Gordon, in his Camaro. And to make matters worse, he tweeted a photo of himself brandishing a gun while driving, a pic he's since deleted, which prompting concerns about whether Bobbi's in the right relationship.

No hearing date has been scheduled on the matter. 

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Updated 3:10 p.m. PT: A "seemingly random" girl would be a good way to re-classify the Internet sensation who is attracting fans with her karaoke rendition of "I Will Always Love You." Turns out the woman is accomplished and well known enough to have a following. Zendee Rose Tenerefe is a 21-year-old from the Philippines with almost 5,000 fans on this Facebook page. On Monday she posted about her video and the viral attention it was attracting in the United States. She gives a "big thanks" to all Americans and all Filipinos worldwide.

Original story: A random girl steps up to a karaoke machine in a grocery store to sing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You." Sounds like a good reason to click away and continue surfing the web. But you'll miss something special.

There in front of the booze and a man mopping the floor, the young girl does a masterful job on a song made famous by one of history's great singing talents. (And yes, we know it's Dolly Parton's song, but it's safe to say the girl is channeling Houston.)

The video (spotted on The Daily What) has 450,000+ views on YouTube and commenters are urging someone, anyone, to sign the girl to a recording deal.

"That was beautiful. She nailed the notes and put her own flavor to it. I feel like Randy Jackson critiquing her. She needs to get found," writes justpnay.

"I am in love! This sweet youngling absolutely DESTROYS Justin Bieber! Everyone do your part to spread and share this to start the process of perhaps a great career for you great talent," says headslo.

In the age of "American Idol" and "X Factor" and every other televised talent competition aimed at finding the next big thing, it's nice to know someone can just pick up a mic in a grocery store and wow the world.

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Alicia Gbur / AP

Whitney Houston plays mom Emma in the "Sparkle" remake.

REVIEW: The look, styles, dialogue and attitudes all feel more 21st century than 1968, but this new "Sparkle" still sparkles more brightly than its 1976 namesake, which was a sort of rough draft for Dreamgirls. Like its predecessor both melodramatic and predictable in illustrating the rough-and-tumble rise of a girl group in the black music scene, this new version pops with energy and adds welcome new angles to the plot and characters.

And there is also a vibrant Whitney Houston, both as executive producer and in an important role, in no way looking like she wouldn't survive until the film's release. The Sony/TriStar musical drama looks to deliver modest-to-decent returns in late summer release, with a good home-viewing career in store.

Set in Harlem in 1958, the original featured Joel Schumacher's first produced screenplay, was directed by ace film editor Sam O'Steen and derived most of its force from Lonette McKee's sensational performance as the gorgeous and oldest member of a three-sister singing act aiming for the big time. Unfortunately, she was gone before the movie was half over.

More from THR: Houston's death and the Grammy Awards scramble: Timeline of a tragedy

Evidently recognizing that the earlier script was a connect-the-dots affair with little meat on its bones, screenwriter Mara Brock Akil has not only brought the action forward by 10 years but made well-judged decisions about how to revise and moderately enrich the main characters, most of whom bear the same names as before.

At first, the “Sister and Her Sisters” singing group, like the film itself, gets by on the heart-stopping sex appeal of the Diana Ross-like lead singer, dynamically played with no shortage of allure by the stunning Carmen Ejogo. Like her siblings, appealing but virginal songwriter Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) and down-to-earth aspiring med student Dee (Tika Sumpter), Sister lives at home with their mother Emma (Houston) but can't wait to get out and sees musical success as her best shot.

One positive alteration right out of the box is changing the mother from what was frankly a boring worn-out domestic to a relatively prosperous middle-class character who never made it as a pop singer but can still bring down the house wailing gospel at church. Emma's past failure hangs over her daughters like a stationary cloud, and Houston does utter one line that reverberates with inescapable real-life implications: “Was my life not enough of a cautionary tale for you?”

More from THR: Hollywood's undercover hitmakers: Salim and Mara Brock Akil

As the group begins to attract attention, Sister is courted by the earnest but penniless Levi (Omari Hardwick), who can't offer her what she really wants. One who can is the elegant local operator Satin (Mike Epps), a character who, in the original, was a standard-issue tough thug but here has been intriguingly reconceived as a smug, condescending comedian whose racial humor plays well with whites but not to fellow blacks. Accompanied wherever he goes by an albino factotum, Satin sweeps Sister off her feet but takes her to a darker, dire place.

For her part, the bashful Sparkle receives no end of encouragement and amorous attention from aspiring music manager Stix (Derek Luke), who sees it as his appointed task in life to make Sparkle realize her potential not only as a songwriter but as a performer; for her, Sister was always meant to be the star, with her as backup. The hyper-realist Dee wins points by bluntly admitting how she knows that nobody even notices her when her sisters are around -- at least until she becomes the first in the neighborhood to get an Afro haircut.

Through all the adversity and turmoil -- compounded most of all by Sister's drug addiction and abusive relationship as well as by Emma's stern disapproval of her daughters' career aspirations, which drives them all away -- Akil and her director-husband Salim Akil (last year's Jumping the Broom) keep a close eye on Sparkle's constant songwriting in her notepad; more than in the original, one feels that she is driven to create and express herself, even if she's never dared think of herself as a born performer. Given the robust vocalizing by Sparks, who burst on the scene as the winner of American Idol in 2006, there could scarcely have been any doubt.

More from THR: Fans and loved ones honor to gather Whitney Houston

The family's roots in gospel and church life are amply displayed, as is Houston's own deep connection to the form in a powerful, climactic number, “Celebrate,” that serves as her cinematic musical swan song. The musical choices, overseen by executive music consultant R. Kelly, are eclectic, ranging from sultry and/or soulful originals (some of which Kelly wrote) to vintage standards (Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Sly and the Family Stone) and even some white pop (Cream, Nancy Sinatra) that "Sparkle" likes to watch on TV.

Where Sparkle scants is in credible period evocation. There's a mention of riots in Detroit and a glimpse of Martin Luther King Jr. on the tube but no sense that either means more to these characters than they would have to white teenagers in Portland. Nor is Dr. King's death even noted, though it took place in the year depicted. Despite having been shot in Michigan, very little specific atmosphere is imparted. Many of the sets look far too modern, just as the dialogue is studded with usages that were, in some cases, decades away.

But the interplay among the characters pulsates and the dramatic confrontations are sufficiently charged for the audience to get past the rampant aspirational cliches or at least ride with them. In what's mostly the women's film, Epps does a first-rate job as the oily seductor, while Luke manages credibly despite his character's goody-goody demeanor.

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George Rose / Getty Images

Whitney Houston sings the national anthem before Super Bowl XXV in 1991 in Tampa, Florida.

Patriotic songs. They’re as common to the Fourth of July as cookouts, fireworks and record heat. And who doesn’t love a patriotic song?

Well, quite a few people actually. They include critics of Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” and anyone who has flinched while sitting through a celebrity-damaged rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Other would-be anthems that aren’t always popular include Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” recently banned in an elementary school for supposedly being “offensive,” and Martina McBride’s “Independence Day,” a female empowerment anthem recast out of context as the jingoistic theme song of Sean Hannity’s radio talk show. 

As patriotic songs go, what one person considers a tribute to America can come off as cliché to another. Yet when these songs strike the right chord it’s hard to deny their power.

One of the most powerful is also one of the oldest, “America the Beautiful,” originally written as a poem back in the 19^th century. Scads of country singers have covered it, but the rendition that has become the standard is the gospel-infused one by Ray Charles, which he recorded in 1972. Expect to hear it if you tune into PBS’s live broadcast “A Capitol Fourth.”  

As much as celebrities get criticized for mangling the national anthem, the live rendition by Whitney Houston in 1991 set the standard for how the song should be sung and was popular enough to go platinum. An earlier version by Marvin Gaye also showed that with the right voice, the song can be transcendent. Jimi Hendrix’s legendary Woodstock instrumental version -- considered irreverent at the time -- made the tune seem majestic in a way few could have imagined.

Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” sometimes gets mistakenly lumped in with patriotic songs. But even though its fist-in-the-air chorus gets ’em singing along in the stadiums, the verses tell of a veteran of the Vietnam War whose life has fallen apart, making it one of the Boss’ most subversive tunes. John Mellencamp’s “Pink Houses” came out around the same time and is more a heartfelt celebration of the heartland.

Springsteen has also been known to cover Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land,” another song that isn’t quite as patriotic as people perceive it to be, yet has become a sort of “people’s national anthem.” It was purportedly written as a more humanistic response to Irving Berlin's bombastic “God Bless America.” Had Guthrie lived longer, he’d probably be amused at the way he succeeded in knocking Berlin’s song off its perch, since his is the one you hear more of these days.

Some songs that people consider patriotic are really just protest songs that focus on the country, such as Bob Dylan’s “With God on Our Side” and the Grateful Dead’s “U.S. Blues.” More to the point are a handful of more recent country songs, notably Brooks & Dunn’s optimistic “Only in America,” about opportunity (like the Jay and the Americans oldie), and Trace Adkins’ “Arlington,” about a fallen soldier.

Few lists of such songs mention the nearly forgotten would-be anthems of the Reagan Era that were once considered contenders. Anyone remember Bob Seger’s “American Storm” (a Top 20 hit in 1986) or Prince’s “America,” which just missed the Top 40 in 1985? Oldies fans are sure to be familiar with hits that were patriotic by virtue of the fact that they retold historical tales. What else would you expect from songs titled “The Battle of New Orleans” and “PT-109?”

What patriotic songs make you proud to be an American -- and which ones have we missed? Tell us about it on our Facebook page.

Tony Sclafani is an arts and culture writer whose first book is due out next year. His writing can be seen at www.tonysclafani.com.

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Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

Joan Rivers

Comedian Joan Rivers is taking some heat for two Whitney Houston jokes that reportedly appear in her upcoming book, "I Hate Everyone ... Starting With Me."

The Village Voice reports that in a section on travel, Rivers writes: "I hate Houston ... it's crawling with bugs. Oh, wait, that's Whitney Houston; I'm sorry, my bad. (Can I just mention that Whitney looked fabulous at the Grammys?  She was in mahogany from head to toe.)"

Houston, 48, was found dead in her Beverly Hills, Calif. hotel bathtub on Feb. 11, the day before the Grammys.

The jokes shouldn't be a surprise to those who read the book's description on the website of publisher Penguin, which reads, "uncensored and totally uninhibited (Rivers gives) the best of her worst to First Ladies, closet cases, hypocrites, Hollywood, feminists, and overrated historical figures," and goes on to call the book an "honest, unabashedly hilarious love letter to the hater in all of us."

Readers of the Village Voice post were divided over whether Rivers' remark was too much, too soon.

"There's funny tasteless and there's just tasteless and unfortunately, this joke is in the latter category," wrote one reader.

Said another: "Joan Rivers is still funnier than most comedians half her age. Making tasteless jokes about celebrities is what she does. If you don't enjoy her, fine, but please don't try to say that all of a sudden she's crossed a line she never crossed before."

Back in February, in an interview with Andy Cohen on "Watch What Happens Live," Rivers said she's never regretted insulting anyone because her jokes are "never meant to be mean." She also said when singer Willie Nelson's daughter wrote her to say that a Rivers' joke about Nelson resulted in the girl being teased at school, she took that joke out of her act.

Also in February, Rivers was criticized by some for snarky remarks she made about Houston's wardrobe on the E! show "Fashion Police." According to Women's Wear Daily, Rivers said, "Am I sorry (Houston) died? Of course I am, for God’s sake." She also said "If Angelina Jolie died tomorrow, I would still say she was anorexic."

After Houston's death, Rivers tweeted, "Whitney Houston. What a sad tragedy — the end of the life of an incredible talent. RIP to an amazing singer and legend.”

Rivers' book will be published June 5.

Did Rivers go too far? Vote in our poll, tell us on Facebook and follow us on Pinterest.

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Whitney Houston was among the artists posthumously honored during Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. Hours later, her final recording -- a duet with Jordin Sparks called "Celebrate" -- made its way online (you can listen to it here).

Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Jordin Sparks performs at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on Sunday.

R. Kelly produced the upbeat track, which is part of the soundtrack for the film "Sparkle," a movie about a 1960's Motown group that suddenly rises to fame. Houston plays the mother to the three sisters in the group; Sparks is among the sisters.

"Sparkle" opens in theaters Aug. 17. Check out this preview clip from TODAY:

What do you think of the song? Will you see the movie? Discuss on our Facebook page.

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Joe Giblin / AP

Bobby Brown

Bobby Brown has released a new single, “Don’t Let Me Die,” which appears to honor his late ex-wife, Whitney Houston.

The Grammy Award-winning musician performed the R&B song in a live set on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” Wednesday night. It is the premiere single off his first solo album in 14 years, “The Masterpiece,” which will be released June 5.

“It’s been about a month since you’ve been gone, I guess it’s pretty clear you ain’t coming home,” the song begins. “I guess I messed up pretty bad, I didn’t know who you were; I didn’t know what we had.”

The record was released online May 9, and has garnered positive attention. Brown is currently on a reunion tour with his 1990s band, New Edition.

While he has not confirmed that the track was written for Houston, Brown described the album to CBS News as his best ever, a reflection of "what I've been through throughout my life … just trying to heal myself through my music."

He also commented on his recent arrest for DUI. "I'm going to do better in the near future," Brown said. "I just want to get back to what I do, which is entertainment, and this [the album] is the start to me getting back to what I want to do."

Houston was found drowned in her Beverly Hills, Calif. hotel room bathtub on Feb. 11. She was 48. She was married to Brown from 1992 to 2007 and they have a teenage daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

Earlier this month, Brown told TODAY anchor Matt Lauer that his relationship with Houston was “great,” and called their marriage “14 beautiful years.”

"I can honestly say that I love that woman with -- with everything that I am," Brown said. “And I believe she loved me the same way."

Brown also addressed claims he introduced Houston to drugs, and was the ultimate cause of her downward spiral.

"I'm not the reason she's gone,” he insisted. “"I think if anyone ever knew us, if anybody ever spent time around us instead of time lookin' through the bubble, they would know how we felt about each other. They would know how happy we were together."

Do you think Bobby Brown has good intentions with the song, or is he capitalizing on the news to sell CDs? Tell us on Facebook.

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In the first part of Bobby Brown's candid interview with TODAY's Matt Lauer, the R&B star discussed his past drug use and the role hard drugs played in the life (and ultimately the death) of his ex-wife, singer Whitney Houston -- drugs he claimed came into Houston's life long before he did. But of course, there's another person in Brown's life that's recently been the subject of drug-use allegations.

In the second part of Brown's sit-down, he addressed reports that indicate drugs are now an issue for the next generation -- his and Houston's 19-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

When asked if he was worried about his daughter having recently been seen smoking marijuana, and rumors of "other things," Brown insisted, "I will always be worried about that."

Video: Star-studded sendoff for Whitney Houston

But that doesn't mean that he currently believes that she's in any real danger. In fact, the 43-year-old insists he has a solid relationship with his daughter and that he would know if there was really a cause for concern.

"I know what she is actually doing," Brown said. "I think people are, you know, making assumptions of what my daughter is and how strong she is. People tend to want to control strong-willed people. And that's what I see. … I am her father.  She talks to me about everything."

And he's not just Bobbi Kristina's father. Brown has four other children, and three of them joined him on TODAY to defend him from his "bad boy" reputation, especially in regards to his decision to walk out of Houston's funeral because he was unwilling to be separated from his alleged "entourage."

"We were the entourage," daughter LaPrincia said, setting the record straight.

"They sat us and you know, I saw someone talk to my dad," Brown's son, Landon, explained. "But I didn't know what they were saying -- until he tapped me and said, 'Let's go.'"

Video: Details emerge about Houston's final days

According to Brown, he only delivered that message after security approached him three times and asked him to seat his "entourage" elsewhere.

"I decided that, you know, it'd be best if I just left," he said. "I kissed the casket, and me and my children left the building." 

Since then, Brown hasn't been in touch with Houston's family, though he said he has attempted to reach out to the singer's mother, Cissy Houston, without success.

After hearing from his children, and listening to what he has to say about daughter Bobbi Kristina, what do you think of Bobby Brown the family man? Discuss on Facebook.

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