A Georgia judge has found Nick Gordon legally responsible for the death of his girlfriend, Bobbi Kristina Brown.
Gordon failed to show up to a civil hearing at the Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on Friday. This is the second hearing he’s missed. As a result, Gordon was found in contempt of the order and the judgment was made “by default.”
Brown’s estate filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Gordon last year, alleging he beat her up after a “cocaine and drinking binge.” The estate also claimed that Gordon gave Brown a “toxic cocktail” that caused her to pass out.
Brown, the only child of the late Whitney Houston and singer Bobby Brown, was found unresponsive in her bathtub on January 31, 2015. She remained in a coma until she died six months later.
An autopsy in March revealed her cause of death was due to drug intoxication and immersion in water, according to the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office. They were unable to rule whether her death was “due to intentional or accidental causes.”
CNN’s Faith Robinson spoke to Nick Gordon by phone. He said he had no comment on Friday’s ruling.
The court ordered a jury trial to determine damages in the case.
An attorney for Brown’s estate, R. David Ware, wrote in a statement that the estate would pursue collection of any determined judgement with “fervor.”
No criminal charges have been filed against Gordon.
