D-Day Arrives for Whitney, Bobby

Whitney Houston's divorce from Bobby Brown made final by Orange County judge; Houston filed for the split in October, citing irreconcilable differences

By Gina Serpe Apr 24, 2007 7:15 PMTags

Whitney Houston's officially done being Bobby Brown's missus.

The R&B couple's divorce was made final in Orange County, California, on Tuesday, just six months after Houston first filed for the split.

As it is, all terms of the duo's separation had been worked out well in advance of their mutual emancipation, with Superior Court Judge Franz Miller giving the judicial seal of approval last month and granting Houston full legal and physical custody of the couple's 14-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. (View the court documents.)

Houston, who was present in court for Miller's ruling last month, agreed at the time to give Brown a "reasonable right of visitation" to the child, though she opted not to request child support from her estranged hubby (a smart move, considering his well-documented aversion to such payments).

The 43-year-old Houston first filed for legal separation from Brown in September; a month later, she submitted a petition for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences.

In December, Houston requested a default judgment from Miller to fast-track the process.

According to court documents, the couple had a prenuptial agreement preventing them from amassing community property or paying spousal support to each other on the off chance that their wedded bliss ended up not so blissful.

They wed June 18, 1992, but their union was rocky from the outset, marred by Brown's repeated entries in the police blotter, including charges of domestic abuse, a rehab stint for Houston and a trial separation.

Brown, 38, chose not to appear in court and witness firsthand the demise of his marriage. At last month's hearing, an emotional Houston said it was "very difficult to communicate" with him.

"He's unavailable...He doesn't keep his word. If he says he's going to come, sometimes he comes, most of the time he doesn't," she told the judge in making her case for a sped-up dissolution to their 14-year marriage.

While Brown's attorney, Ram Cogan, indicated after that hearing that Brown would file a petition contesting Houston's custody of Bobbi Kristina, the singer has yet to follow through on the legal threat.

This was the first marriage for both performers. However, Brown has two teenage children from a previous relationship.