Whitney Houston's family, Ray J clash at Billboard Music Awards: Report

The seating arrangement at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night (May 20) apparently left something to be desired for the family of Whitney Houston.

So says TMZ, which reports that Houston's sister-in-law Pat Houston was not pleased when she discovered she and Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, were seated next to Ray J, who was dating Whitney in the final months of her life and whom Pat Houston considers a "very bad influence."

Pat Houston even called security at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in an attempt to get Ray J -- whose sister Brandy was a presenter at the awards -- to move, but he refused. Things were tense for a bit, but Pat Houston relented when security personnel warned her that any scuffle would likely be captured on video (presumably by people in the audience, not broadcaster ABC's cameras) and could mar the show's tribute to Whitney, TMZ says.

The tribute went off as planned, and everyone peacefully co-existed for the rest of the evening. (Meanwhile, Gossip Cop is quoting a "Houston family insider" who says "all was fine" with the seating arrangement.)