Tyler Perry on Whitney Houston’s Daughter Bobbi Kristina: ‘That Kid Has a Such a Future’

Tyler Perry says Whitney Houston‘s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, exceeded his expections during her acting debut on his TBS series For Better Or Worse.

“She did a fantastic job,” the auteur said Monday at the premiere of Madea’s Witness Protection in New York City. “And that kid has a such a future. She’s such an actor. I’m so proud of her. I’m telling you, as far as she wants to go in the business, she can.”

As for casting her on the sitcom, which chronicles three couples’ relationship drama, he added: “What I found when my mother died is you have to be around people that you trust.”

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston’s Life and Career in Pictures

Bobbi Kristina, 19, made headlines in late May when reports surfaced that she had tearfully walked off the set of the TBS show, which kicks off its second season next month. Perry posted a denial on his website, saying: “NOT TRUE AT ALL PEOPLE!!! There is no way that she could have walked off the set because we have finished taping the season.”

Perry, 42, spoke at Houston’s memorial service in February, animatedly addressing the audience at the singer’s childhood church in Newark, N.J. “If there was a grace that carried her through,” said Perry, “it was the same grace that carried her home.”

Earlier this month, Bobbi Kristina’s father and Houston’s ex-husband, Bobby Brown, married Alicia Etheridge in Hawaii. She did not attend the wedding despite Brown’s attempts to persuade her, according to a new report by Us Weekly.

For Better Or Worse is Perry’s third series with TBS, joining House of Payne and Meet the Browns; the latter ended last year.

In a March interview with Oprah Winfrey on OWN’s Oprah’s Next Chapter, Bobbi Kristina shared that she wanted to follow in her mother’s footsteps and “carry on the legacy.”

“We’re gonna do the singing thing,” she told Winfrey. “Some acting, some dancing.”

Twitter: @ErinLCarlson

Email: erin.carlson@thr.com