UPDATE IV: Bobby Brown's representative sent the following statement to ABC News:

My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston. We were seated by security and then subsequently asked to move on three separate occasions. I fail to understand why security treated my family this way and continue to ask us and no one else to move, he said. Security then prevented me from attempting to see my daughter Bobbi-Kristina. In light of the events, I gave a kiss to the casket of my ex-wife and departed as I refused to create a scene. My children are completely distraught over the events. This was a day to honor Whitney. I doubt Whitney would have wanted this to occur. I will continue to pay my respects to my ex-wife the best way I know how.

UPDATE III: Here's The Mirror's take on Bobby Brown's entrance, exit, and—re-entrance?

He walked up to her coffin, touched it and then insisted the nine people should sit with him in the family section of the New Jersey church where Whitney first sung in public as a little girl four decades ago.

But Whitney's family refused - and insisted his hangers-on would have to sit separately.

And at that point volatile Brown stormed out, looking visibly upset as his and Whitney's daughter Bobbi Kristina sat behind the coffin.

R&B singer Brown, in a dark suit and tie and black-rimmed glasses left with his entourage in convoy of people carriers. However, he later returned on his own and entered though a side-door. [...]

The Mirror also reported that when Brown stormed out of the service, he was in tears and with his son Landon Brown.

UPDATE II: TMZ has more details:

Bobby Brown was asked to leave Whitney Houston's funeral today ... after he got into an argument with Whitney's family over whether or not he could bring nine people into the church with him ... TMZ has learned.

Brown was spotted going into the church today in Newark, NJ ... but was seen leaving shortly thereafter.

According to our sources, Brown was invited, plus two, but instead showed up with an entourage of nine people. We're told Bobby became upset when he found out they would not seat his whole party.

Our sources say Bobby wanted to sit with his daughter, Bobbi Kristina, but Whitney's family was not having it.

We're told Rev. Jesse Jackson tried to smooth things over ... but to no avail.

UPDATE: E! Online is reporting that souces told them that Bobby Brown left over a seating dispute. HLN is saying that Bobby Brown was in the church, walked passed Whitney's casket and then left the church.

It's been a back-and-forth few days for Bobby Brown. First, Whitney Houston's ex-husband was reportedly not invited to the funeral -- the family has ill feelings towards him, holding him partly responsible for the singer's drug abuse and decadent lifestyle -- but then this was apparently reversed, with TMZ reporting that the Houston family ha dofficially invited Brown.

But Brown never made it into the church. He was spotted outside the funeral, but People Magazine is reporting:

Bobby was outside the church, a source at Newark, N.J.'s New Hope Baptist Church tells PEOPLE. He hugged his brother and then got in a car, and they drove him off.

Adds the source: They wouldn't allow him in.

However, a relative tells PEOPLE that Brown was indeed invited to the funeral and that Houston's family knew he was attending.

The source adds that he wanted to attend to support his daughter with Houston, Bobbi Kristina, who was briefly hospitalized after having a nervous breakdown last week.

She wanted her dad to be there for her mom, the relative says. She is not going to be happy that he was turned back.

ABC News reports that the R&B singer was spotted leaving the church in a Cadillac Escalade along with his two children, Landon and LaPrincia.

Here are some pictures of Bobby Brown arriving and leaving the funeral, without ever entering the church:

REUTERS

REUTERS

REUTERS