Nick Gordon "heartbroken" over the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown

A source close to Nick - who was banned from Bobbi's bedside by her father Bobby Brown - said: "He is heartbroken and grieving. Nick was holding out hope that he would see her one final time. He is very emotional."

Nick - who recently underwent a stint in rehab - is currently subject to a lawsuit from Bobbi Kristina's conservators, who accused him of domestic abuse and stealing money, while her family have also questioned the circumstances leading up to her being found unresponsive in their bathtub on January 31.

But despite their tempestuous relationship, Nick "really did" love the 22-year-old aspiring singer.

The source added to People magazine: "Nick is very upset. You can say what you want about him and Bobbi Kristina, but he really did love her very much, and is devastated that she is gone."

Nick - who was raised by Bobbi's late mother Whitney Houston - became romantically involved with the troubled starlet shortly after the 'I Will Always Love You' singer's death in 2012.

The couple referred to one another as husband and wife, but shortly after Bobbi's hospitalisation, it emerged that they had never actually legally married.