The grieving family members of Bobbi Kristina Brown are "livid" after a tabloid magazine published photos of Whitney Houston's daughter in her final hours at Peachtree Christian Hospice center in Georgia.
The National Enquirer, which also reportedly published photo of pop legend Whitney Houston's body at her wake in 2012, recently claimed to have published a photo of her 22-year-old daughter just days before she died.
In the controversial photo, Bobbi Kristina is shown at the hospice facility, lying in her bed. She can be seen comatose, covered with blankets and breathing with the help of a ventilator.
The cover of the tabloid reads, "Whitney's Daughter: The Last Photo!" and includes the tagline, "Inside the tragic deathbed scene before Bobbi Kristina was reunited with her mother." The publication also claims to have "more chilling images inside."
Speaking to Fox News, a source close to the family said "the families are livid" about the photo, which TMZ reported was auctioned off for more than $100,000.
"They are indeed exploring legal action if only to find out who did it," the insider said, adding that after the photo was first reported to have been taken, most of the Brown family was banned from visiting Bobbi Kristina, as whoever took the photo was one of the few on the approved visitor list at the hospice center.
Entertainment lawyer Julian Chan also told the news outlet that Bobbi Kristina's total right to privacy was violated in an "illicit way".
"The family can sue for invasion of privacy, as well as for trespass for entering the room to take the picture," Chan said. "They can also sue for intentional infliction of emotional distress, since-- as you can imagine-- a picture like that especially in a printed magazine [would cause distress]."
As previously reported by the Gospel Herald, Bobbi Kristina died on Sunday, July 26th. Her death came nearly six months after she was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her home in Roswell, Georgia back in January.
The aspiring actress' death was ruled accidental. However, police are treating Bobbi Kristina's near-drowning and alleged injuries as a criminal investigation - with speculation mounting that her partner Nick Gordon will face charges.
Bobbi Kristina's mother, the iconic singer Whitney Houston, died just three years prior after drowning in a bathtub in a manner eerily similar to her daughter. A toxicology report found that various medications and illegal drugs were in her system.
Shortly before Bobbi Kristina's death, entertainment mogul Tyler Perry took to Facebook to ask the media to respect the young woman's privacy in the wake of the tragic situation.
"[A]s difficult as this time is for the people that love both Whitney and Krissi, what makes it more egregious is the blatant disrespect, lies, and ignorance that are rapidly printed in this awful time," he wrote. "For some reason, it has become human nature in our society to look for, seek out, and celebrate darkness, glory in tragedy, and enjoy reading and reporting it."
He continued, "May I ask you all to please show some decency and respect? ...It's heartbreaking to think that even in a time like this, this child is still not allowed any peace."
Last Sunday, the Brown and Houston families commemorated Bobbi Kristina's life in a small, private memorial held at St. James United Methodist Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. The young woman was subsequently buried next to her mother on Monday at the Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, in a private ceremony, according to a local report.
