 After her mother's death, Brown was taken care of by her aunt Marion Garland-Houston and her husband Gary Garland.In October 2012, Brown announced her engagement to a close family friend, Nick Gordon, who had come to live in the Houston household when he was 12 years old and who was later found liable for her death.The announcement caused controversy within the family; before making their romantic involvement known, Brown had referred to him as her "big brother".