Why Bobbi Kristina skipped dad's wedding

Tibrina Hobson / WireImage file

By Us Weekly

Bobby Brown's June 18 nuptials to Alicia Etheridge were bittersweet for the former New Edition singer. One of his loved ones was noticeably absent from the celebration: his daughter with the late Whitney Houston, Bobbi Kristina.

"Bobby Brown was desperate for her to go to his recent wedding, but she would not return his calls," a source close to the 19-year-old tells Us Weekly. The R&B crooner went to great lengths to attempt to reach his daughter -- even employing a third party to attempt to get his message through.

PHOTOS: Whitney's family album

"Bobby got a go-between to contact Bobbi Kristina to try and persuade her, but she told them she was not going because she did not like Alicia, and that she was [busy] filming her reality show with [aunt] Pat Houston in New York," the insider shares.

The source adds that Bobbi Kristina's aunt Pat -- Whitney Houston's sister -- is doing her best to keep the troubled teen in check. "She's trying to act like a mother figure," the source explains. "Pat does not like Bobby Brown and was pleased that Bobbi Kristina did not go to the wedding, as she feels that her father will always try and take advantage of her."

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston, 1963-2012

Over the years, Bobby Brown's relationship with his daughter has been strained during the best of times, marred by long periods of estrangement. Most recently, the pair reunited during a tense NYC lunch in April.

Bobbi Kristina "was on her phone and texting a crazy amount," an eyewitness told Us. "She didn't seem too thrilled to be there, in all honesty."

As for the current state of their relationship?

VIDEO: Whitney's highs and lows

"It's a sad situation, but at the moment they're not getting along," the insider reveals. "The wedding snub hasn't helped with their relationship."

Bobbi Kristina's mom Whitney Houston passed away February 11 at the age of 48; a source told Us at the time that the teen was "shattered" by her mom's shocking death.

Bobbi "wanted to be just like her mother," the source shared. "She was really her mom's caretaker and biggest cheerleader and biggest fan . . . I don't know how she will be able to go on."

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