Houston wins custody of daughter

Houston wed fellow singer Bobby Brown in 1992

Whitney Houston has been given custody of the teenage daughter she shares with estranged husband Bobby Brown, as their 14-year marriage comes to an end.The singer, 43, told a Californian court that Brown was “unreliable” and their daughter could not depend on him.

A lawyer for Bobby Brown, 38, said he would appeal the judge’s decision.

The pair’s tempestuous marriage was marred by prison sentences for Brown and stints in drug rehabilitation clinics for Houston.

‘Irreconcilable differences’

Brown was briefly jailed in February over $19,000 (£9,630) in unpaid child support payment for two of his children from a previous relationship.

He was sentenced to 30 days jail time, but released after a few days when the money was paid to their mother.

Houston and Brown wed in 1992 when she was at the height of her fame, with a string of hit records and a starring role opposite Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard.

She filed for divorce last October citing irreconcilable differences.

Superior Court Judge Franz E Miller ruled that Houston and Brown’s marriage would officially end on 24 April.