Whitney Houston’s death is a suspected accidental overdose, possible drowning

As we reported last night, Whitney Houston passed away in Beverly Hills on Saturday at the Beverly Hilton. She was 48 years old. She passed away during Grammy Weekend – where musicians, pop stars, rap and hip-hop stars and everyone and anyone involved in the music industry descends on LA for pre-Grammy parties and the actual Grammys, which are still scheduled for tonight. Ever since Whitney’s rep confirmed Whitney’s death, there has been a rush of information. Here are some bullet points:

*Whitney was discovered by a member of her entourage, likely a bodyguard. The person called hotel security, who in turn called 911. Whitney was unresponsive (likely already dead) when the EMTs arrived. TMZ’s sources claim that the night before her death (Friday), Whitney “partied heavily” at the hotel, “drinking and chatting loudly with friends in the bar.” Both Whitney’s mother (Cissy) and her cousin (Dionne Warwick) spoke to Whitney just hours before her death, and they both say she sounded fine.

*Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina “got into an angry shouting match with police officers outside the hotel room where her mother was found dead.” Hours after Whitney’s death, Bobbie Kristina tried to see her mother’s body, but she was told no one was allowed in. Dionne Warwick was also sent away.

*The LAPD’s initial assessment is that there is no foul play. TMZ’s sources (probably inside the LAPD) claim that “no illegal drugs have been found in the hotel room where Whitney Houston died” but they’ve found prescription drugs. Allegedly, Whitney was found in the bathtub, and EMTs removed her from the tub, and there are suspicions Whitney might have passed out and drowned. There’s also a theory that she simply overdosed. Allegedly, no alcohol was found in the room either.

*TMZ says Whitney was taking Xanax. Xanax mixed with alcohol = not good. But! Radar says the LAPD found “a plethora of sedatives including Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax, and a sleeping medication that was found in her hotel room.” The autopsy will take place today or tomorrow, and the assumption (by Radar’s sources) is that Whitney accidentally overdosed.

*Whitney’s last film, Sparkle, is still scheduled to be released later this year. Sparkle is a remake of a 1976 film about young musicians struggling with addiction. Whitney had bought the rights to the story a decade ago, she executive produced the remake, and she costars as the mother of Jordin Sparks’ character. The last time Whitney was in a film was in 1996, in The Preacher’s Wife.

*Listen to the isolated vocals of Whitney singing “How Will I Know” here.

*Tony Bennett is using Whitney’s death to campaign for the legalization of drugs. His argument is lacking.

*Whitney’s last interview was with Access Hollywood? You can see it here.

*Read some statements from celebrities who loved Whitney here and here.

*Grammy producers are scrambling to add last-minute tributes to Whitney during tonight’s broadcast. Jennifer Hudson is coming on to perform “a respectful musical tribute” to Whitney. Allegedly, Chaka Khan might join her. My guess is that some of Lady Gaga’s performance time is being cut to make room for Whitney’s tribute.

*Bobby Brown cried during a concert last night.

RIP Whitney, you will be deeply missed.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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168 Responses to “Whitney Houston’s death is a suspected accidental overdose, possible drowning”

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  1. Cherry says:

    So, so sad. That is all.

    • laylajanelovesgossip says:

      Damn, Whitney…THIS truly made me sad:-( I love you girl, I hope you are finally free and happy.

    • HA! says:

      It sure is sad. I have that song of hers “didn’t we almost have it all” stuck in my mind.

      • OriginalTiffany says:

        So sad. Woke up to this in the AM. Mixing sedatives and alcohol will get you into big trouble.

        I have to take valium for my anxiety (which I am trying to wean off totally and do yoga instead) and for this reason I do NOT drink. If I drink I do not take any meds.

        If anyone learns anything from this-do not mix sedatives and do not mix with alcohol. She was basically taking three of the same family of drug.
        Benzos are the “pams”, Lorazepam, Valium is diazepam and xanax is alorzapam. She was taking three different pills that all are the same. Just different drug half-lives.
        🙁

  2. Asli says:

    This is just too sad for words. Especially the Boobi Kristina part – póor girl.

    Rest in peace, Whitney.

  3. Your mama says:

    Prayers for her daughter and family at this time.

  4. DesertRose says:

    So sad. Karaoke last night was terrible, more than one gal thought she’d get up and belt a Whitney song. Ear-abuse aside, if Radar is to be believed – all those drugs listed by name are benzos – and if she was taking all of them at once it’s a wonder she didn’t OD sooner. Poor lady. You would think that her handlers would keep better watch over her. I’m not blaming anyone, it’s just . . .sad.

    • Floridaseaturtle says:

      I don’t think her handlers knew how to protect her from herself at this point. There are pictures all over the place right now, of her leaving Tru club the night before, or Thursday night. Everyone around her has a somber look on their face(s). One guy in a pic looks like he is leaning away from her, while she looks like she might be cursing. ITA, totally sad. From what I read, she wasn’t totally alone. I think bodyguards and her hairdresser were in her room, just that they gave her enough privacy to take a bath in the next room. When she took too long, that’s when they checked on her (allegedly). The addictions just took her over, I don’t know if anyone knew how to stop or protect her, tragic.

      • jc126 says:

        The problem with even well-meaning people around addicted stars is that in the throes of addiction, the star probably threatens to fire them if they try to withhold drugs from the celeb. There’s always sleazeballs around who are willing to provide drugs to the star, people who just want their money. I believe these are big reasons why many stars find it SO hard to kick drugs; people enabling them.

    • Darryl says:

      She didn’t OD! She fell asleep in the bathtub because of the drugs and drowned herself. There is a slight difference.

      • ZenB!tch says:

        I’m on some of those for medical reasons and this is EXACTLY why I never take them before going into the tub.

        I feel bad for her daughter.

      • Brad says:

        Entertainment Tonight reported tonight (2/13) that a former bodyguard of Whitney’s for 12 years said that they didn’t allow Whitney to take baths then for the exact reason to avoid accidental drowning, and that they would check on her every 15 minutes when she was in the bathroom. With an admission like that, it’s clear that Whitney has been abusing her body for a very long time. This time her body gave out. So sad that the fear of abandoning her young daughter couldn’t help pull her out of her seemingly frequent and reckless behavior. Yes, she had an addiction, but she also had every means possible to seek long-term treatment. Her poor daughter was raised by two addicts, and now has little emotional capacity to deal with this. Pray for her survival.

  5. Kyle says:

    Sorry but this is stupid way to die.

    • Shay says:

      That is extremely rude. It’s tragic. Show a little respect.

    • jc126 says:

      People die from “stupid” ways every day. Victims of drunk driving, alcohol poisoning – any of us could get hit by a bus tomorrow. So many of us die too young. I’d call all these things tragic, not stupid.

    • MerryHappy says:

      I agree. Its stupid, and upsetting. She was too young, too talented, with too many people that will miss her. How is her untimely and preventable death not the above mentioned word? The commener never said whitney was stupid. I have nothing but respect for her family right now, my condolences and may they find peace. Her poor daughter…

    • daisydoodle says:

      @Kyle, agreed….people like that have too many enablers telling her yes, Linsay are you listening?

    • Bubbling says:

      but is there a smart way to die? Outcomes are all the same anyhow…

      • cr says:

        There are less dumb ways*. But possibly drug related deaths are up there with the stupid ways. Imagine how we’d react if Demi had actually died from doing her whip-its (or what ever the heck she was doing). We’d feel sad for her family but I know I’d feel that was a really stupid way to die.
        Or the person in front of me at the crosswalk just a few weeks ago-walked straight into traffic because she was too busy yakking on her cell phone to pay attention. Had she died it would have been because she was stupid. Sorry, it happens all the time, people die because they’re dumb-even if only momentarily.
        I can feel that Whitney’s death was stupid and pointless and still feel pity for her survivors and fans.
        *my father died of a massive heart attack and my mother of a rare brain disorder-I don’t think either of those count as stupid (unless you count Dad ignoring the warning signs. Which if you want to you may).

    • jl says:

      It is stupid! She didn’t need to use all those benzo’s! Why valium and xanax? They do the same thing!!! What dr gives all that to someone, it’s like Michael Jackson all over…..all her people around her are enablers….and stupid.

      • Darryl says:

        I think the Vallium is one pill, whereas the Xanex are bars and are scored so you can take them in parts as needed. They aren’t supposed to be used together at the same time, as I am sure her doctor told her.

      • OriginalTiffany says:

        Sad to say, but these could well have been given to her at the same time by the same doc. Just as mine did. Never told me either. Take this one twice a day, take the other before bed. Stupid. I threw everything out but the one. Oh, still have anxiety? Try this one too.

        Valium is scored as well, you can half or quarter them. It is amazing what docs will give out. Thanks big pharma!

      • Julie says:

        Xanex is used for treating anxiety and while Valium can be, it’s often used as a sedative.

    • mel2 says:

      She had an amazing gift, her voice. Unfortunately, she also was an addict and that cost her her life. Let’s not be judgemental because we dont know what it was like to be Whitney Houston or Michael Jackson. The pressure was mounting for her to perform tonight at the Grammy’s. All we can do at this point is pray for Bobbi Kristina and her family.

  6. jc126 says:

    Such a damn shame.

  7. Ashley says:

    Is it sad? Yes. Is it a shock? Not really.

    • JenJen says:

      That’s what I thought… her untimely passing is very, very sad, but I don’t know that many people are going to be shocked and stunned. Whitney’s addiction and problems are well-known, and I let out an “oh, shit” when I heard, but not a gasp of surprise.
      I’ll say the same thing when LL is found dead, but the difference is that Whitney squandered some REAL talent. Very unfortunate.

  8. bea says:

    I cannot believe Whitney Houston and Michael Jackson are both dead from the same horrible problem.

    • guilty pleasures says:

      While I respect what you are saying, far more people than Whitney and Michael are dead from this problem.
      Drug addiction is not new, it is not getting better, it claims numerous victims every day.
      If it were cancer would we be kinder? I think so.
      Pray that her untimely and needless death will drive someone else to identify and get help, and to drive reform in how we deal with the disease of addiction.

      • Gina says:

        We WOULD be kinder if it were Cancer because MOST of the time Cancer is not self inflicted.

        She had money and every kind of help at her fingertips and she CHOSE to live the life of an addict.

        Is it sad? yes. It is a total waste of a talent and a life. I feel bad for her daughter and her family… but ultimately she made her own bed… so to speak

      • bea says:

        @guilty

        I don’t recall saying they were the only two people to have ever died from Rx OD…

      • Blackcat1286 says:

        People do not choose to be addicts. The definition of addict is as follows; Definition
        Drug addiction is a dependence on an illegal drug or a medication. When you’re addicted, you may not be able to control your drug use and you may continue using the drug despite the harm it causes. Drug addiction can cause an intense craving for the drug. You may want to quit, but most people find they can’t do it on their own.
        It is a disease and not a choice or a question of will-power. Working with many addicts and in the medical field I pity people that have this malady as well as societies view that people who are addicts have a choice. Some people can drink, take valium, xanax and never have a problem, some people have a chemical make-up in their brains that does not allow them to do the same and they become addicted. To say they made their bd or it was their choice is foolish.

    • carrie says:

      someone just said me the same stuff

    • brin says:

      Unfortunately it’s all too common and very sad. R.I.P. Whitney.

    • NottaSpazz says:

      Agreed. I am so tired of hearing about people overdosing from Rx drugs, celebrities and personal friends and acquaintances.

      Just wish I knew what the solution was.

      🙁

    • Psyren says:

      @Gina you really think people choose to be addicts? Really?

      • guilty pleasures says:

        Succinct and correct. Not a choice. A disease. And yes, there is a cure, not all are fortunate enough to achieve it.

      • skilo says:

        I think the choice is in ever doing the drugs to start with knowing that addiction is a possibility.

  9. Rita says:

    For me, she will always be that 20 year old beautiful vivacious girl with such a magnificent voice. As much as she achieved, it was only 20% of her potential. What female would not wish for just a portion of her talent.

    Some people can survive the drug culture but so many can’t. Please don’t take the risk.

    • Kate says:

      Agree. In my mind’s eye, Whitney will always be represented by the vitality and glorious smile she showed in the “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” video.

    • gab says:

      Rita, very well said. I wish she would have had the strength to say no to the drugs. We will never know what she could have accomplished with all that potential.

  10. Agnes says:

    sads.

  11. Lucy says:

    How very sad.

  12. msstreeet says:

    For f’s sake, Costner! You only had one job. ONE JOB!!

    RIP Whitney

  13. Meanchick says:

    Such disrespect from some of you. Addiction is a terrible thing. It doesn’t mean the person is stupid. It’s a disease that kills people from all walks of life. I think of her last moments and it breaks my heart. Sad and tragic.

    • Remote Control says:

      It’s not a disease, it’s a choice people make. People quit everyday, I did.

      • Tommy says:

        Yeah, and every day there are more people that DON’T. And then those people die. You were one of the lucky ones.

      • OriginalTiffany says:

        I did too, but it requires some serious dedication and drive to do it. When I left for tour my doc had me on over 12 different meds. AND a fentanyl pain patch. (Bad horse spills and lifting patients)

        I have stopped all but one, but after going through depression med withdrawals and opiate withdrawals I can see why some people can’t get the strength to do it. It’s a damn hard row to hoe. The docs will give it all to you, but give you NO tools to stop. Many people can’t do it alone.

        If you saw how aggressive the drug reps are and how many samples they give docs and luncheons and free stuff if you just prescribe my pills. We won’t get free of this because big pharma drives the bus with their money, docs are a huge part of the problem as well. They are prescribing this stuff at record rates for everything, even when you don’t need it.
        That is very sad, indeed.

      • HadleyB says:

        Not everyone is strong .. we don’t know what her demons were in her head ..what she really thought of herself .. self hate ..depression.. the thoughts in your head are very strong and not every one can handle it or get out .. benzo’s take that away and make you feel better for awhile or let you escape ..

        We will never know if it was accidental or on purpose .. you don’t know what she was feeling, or thinking or what she was going through.. mental illness is serious and getting addicted to px drugs is all too common when trying to deal with that…

        Why so many people are addicted or why they kill themselves is so many people are really unhappy — no matter who you are or what you have .. so while you may have beat your demons.. it’s not the same for everyone.

        God I am so sick of everyone beating down people – no wonder everyone is hooked on px’s, abuse drugs and booze .. this is the society we live in..isn’t it grand?? just grand..

      • B Hicks says:

        That’s what I think. Boy I love drugs and in my time have taken plenty but when I started trying to get pregnant I stopped because it was no longer about me. Even now with a 7 month old baby I still think about them but why the heck would I when I am now responsible for another life. Sure I understand it’s hard to give it up but it is your decision.

      • Pia says:

        @OriginalTiffany- I hear ya on the horse spills! I’ve been lucky enough to avoid anything major so far, but a girl from the barn fractured a vertebra and can’t ride for 6 months! 🙁

        On the matter of this whole drug addiction thing, it really is easy to judge but frankly I can’t because I’ve never been in that situation. I know what it feels like to have a dependency on pot, but I’ve never touched anything harder besides the occasional mushrooms, etc. I can’t imagine how shitty it feels to be truly addicted to something. Only because I have been lucky enough to avoid any kind of major injury or surgery, I’ve never been prescribed anything stronger than Vicodin. Honestly, if I were rich and famous and had people feeding me drugs I’d probably end up like that too… Hell, it can happen to anyone, we all know that.

      • Trashaddict says:

        Congrats Remote Control and Original TIffany for kicking the habit. It must have been incredibly hard. Addiction is an illness but there are also choices involved, including taking that first hit of whatever or choosing to seek help. A diabetic knows if they eat too much and don’t take their insulin, they’ll die of their disease. Kinda easy to blame the doctors but not all of them are pill pushers. The states monitor their prescribing habits and on the other side, government health agencies are setting standards for adequate treatment of pain. Since there’s absolutely no objective way to measure it, the doctors are at the mercy of whatever the patient says. As far as the multiple drugs, not all docs prescribe them together. Sometimes patients don’t tell everything they are on, go to multiple doctors, or get prescription drugs from illegal sources.
        Just saying.

      • LAK says:

        @originalTifanny – i know you’ve been livning here for past two years. And i know you are in the medical profession. In your opinion, is it harder or easier to get prescriptions for all kinds of things here or in the States.

        I ask because i always think it’s harder here. And i am always shocked at the dosage of basic pain meds in the states.

        But maybe it’s just me or my Dr.

        In a way i thank the lord for the NHS. As prescriptions are standardised or free, it makes very little difference to Dr whether they give it to you. On the flip side, there are continuous scandals of Dr refusing to prescribe medications or give the patient a very low daosage of something with the result that patient dies.

      • OriginalTiffany says:

        @LAK, MUCH harder to get pills over here.

        I wouldn’t say I was mentally addicted, but physically, yes. I was taking all that for real reasons, but I didn’t feel better, I felt worse. Dr’s in Canada, Europe (UK included) much less likely to hand out tons of pills.

        Bad horse falls. Fell on an endurance ride and broke my tailbone, a molar and 40 stitches. Another bad fall, super early hysterectomy with complications, thyroid disease and a few deaths in the family. Boom, anti-depressants, hormones, pain pills, muscle relaxants, sleeping pills and anti-anxiety. Awful-10 kinds of hell.

        Yoga and pot now, I never even drink.
        Oh, and the show moves to Cali next week! Yay-Sun!

    • DreamyK says:

      You will find that people that have actually been married to or lived with someone who is an active addict or alcoholic see Whitney’s death from a different angle. Whitney never truly embraced sobriety. I feel badly for her daughter, who Celebitchy has written about on numerous occasions. She seems to be a very troubled young lady.

    • daisydoodle says:

      I don’t think people are being disrepectful, I think most people have someone in their life, just like Whitney and it scares the shit out of them…it’s sad and it’s very real…

    • LeeLoo says:

      I am also an addict and I disagree with calling addiction a disease unless it is part of a larger disease such as Bipolar Disorder or some other mental illness and in many cases I believe that to be the case. Addiction in and of itself is a choice and I believe the 12 Step “Addiction is a disease” Model is seriously outdated.

      While I agree that people have very little control during an addiction. Relapse is a choice. You can prevent yourself from having a relapse. During the first year after I got clean I would have terrible cravings for my drug of choice but I made the choice to go wear myself out on a treadmill rather than give in to that craving. There’s always a different choice that this person can be making. They can call someone such as a sponsor or a therapist, they can go to a meeting or they can find a way to distract themselves. There is always an alternative to relapse. This is why I do not like 12 Steps, it is useless in its skill set to prevent relapse and use any sort of scientific tangible method when it comes to relapse. Relying on your “higher power” doesn’t cut it and sponsors can potentially be helpful but for me, I found making an relapse prevention action plan to be a better tool. You need to be able to do something or kn I prefer the evidence based treatment programs that teach you how to better care for yourself and better prevent yourself from having a relapse.

  14. pato says:

    So sad. obviously it´s her fault, but her ex is the one to blame, that douchebag, he should be in her place.

  15. nycnick says:

    I hope Lindsay Lohan took notice because this is in her near future unless she wakes up.

  16. Hypocricy says:

    If she really drown herself after falling asleep that is a real trragedy, a totally avoidable death.

    I am pregnant right now and fall asleep within second, anywhere. Since i felt this way I have stopped taking bubble baths and opt for cold energetic showers even if I have to face coldness. I just thought right away that i could drown myself and would rather face coldness and shaking teeth while brushing my skin energetically instead of the pure extasy of a hot bath where I could drown because of my condition.

    That should be a wake up call for anyone in terms of prevention of domesic accident. If you are ill, are under some drug prescription, have taken alcohol, exhausted beyond belief dont EVER bathe take cold to lucky warm short shower instead where you brush your skin energetically and stay contious.

    You have to chose either the drug/alcohol and no bath or the bath and no drug. The both of them are often lethal.

    It angers me that she may have gone that way when it was totally preventable.

    All my thoughts goes to Bobbi Kristina. May God gives her strength and all the support she needs.

  17. Regarless of the cause or the “preventability”, an untimely death is still sad and tragic.

    • Camille (The original) says:

      I agree. It is really sad, she was so talented. 🙁

    • Shay Kay says:

      I agree with you paranormalgirl. We don’t know how long or how hard she fought her own demons but we do know she was a daughter, a mother, a friend, and a very gifted woman. I am sad that she lost the battle and I wish she had had the strength, support, wisdom, and prayers to have survived. Sometimes you fight hard but don’t win and in that there is no shame only a deep and abiding sadness.

  18. Meg says:

    I’m wondering – who’s next? Lindsay?

    • whatthehell456 says:

      ***crossing her fingers and scrunching up her eyes*** please be Celine please be Celine please be Celine….Wait, too soon?

    • the original bellaluna says:

      When hubs got home late from work last night, he got on the comp & said “Guess who’s dead?” And my first guess was “Lindsay Lohan?”

      (I hadn’t been on the comp since early afternoon, so I didn’t know.)

    • LeeLoo says:

      I know this is an out of place thing to say, but it should be Lindsay we’re talking about. Not Whitney.

      Anyone want to place bets on how long it is before we hear this statement. “Lindsay realized after Whitney Houston’s death that she needed to be serious about getting her act together.”

      Because she said the same thing when Anna Nicole, Michael, Heath, and Amy died from LL’s camp. Pathetic.

  19. kibbles says:

    I’ve read rumors that her daughter might also have/is dabbing in drugs like her parents? If so, I hope this is a wake-up call and she learns from her mother’s untimely death. I hope Whitney’s mother and Dionne Warwick help Bobbi Kristina through this difficult time and make sure she doesn’t go down the same path as her parents. Also sad that her father decided to go on with a concert rather than fly to LA to be with her.

    • irishserra says:

      Yeah, they aren’t just rumors. There were photos floating around about a year ago or so of her daughter doing drugs, as well. This family is just one big dysfunctional mess. So, so sad…

  20. lisa says:

    I totally agree with Tony Bennett.

    Legalizing drugs means:

    1.People who use drugs can be localized in a specific area set aside for drug sales and reached by drug counselors who offer counseling and rehab services.

    2.Government regulation means clean needles can be distributed in the area to prevent the spread of hepatitis and HIV among drug users and the general population.

    3.Gangs would sell drugs in one area where their customers are and AWAY from the working poor.Fewer people, including children, killed by gang violence.

    4.Many poor,including children trying to make money to help their families, have no option but to sell drugs and would not end up rotting in prison at taxpayers expense.

    5. Billions of dollars spent on the neverending “war on drugs” could be spent in other areas, including developing new treatments for addiction.

    Ok, end of speech.

    • Rita says:

      I say this with respect and even acknowledge your intent in your comment but I could not disagree more.

      I found Tony’s comment to be incredible ironic. A beautiful woman dies because of drugs (legal and illegal) taking over her life and people are screaming, “More of the same”.

      Whitney had everything a person could ask for and yet she turned to drugs. It was not the drugs that killed her, it was her inability to cope with and appreciate herself.

    • Original Chloe says:

      3.Gangs would sell drugs in one area where their customers are and AWAY from the working poor.Fewer people, including children, killed by gang violence.

      You should watch Season 3 of The Wire, lisa.

      (Though I absolutely agree that “wars on drugs” are idiotic, that this money should be spent elsewhere and that the criminalization of drugs and those addicted to drugs is doing more harm than good)

    • sister says:

      Ironic that legal prescription drugs may have killed Whitney, after all those years of abusing cocaine. Makes you wonder which is more dangerous.

    • valleymiss says:

      This is meant as a reply to Lisa’s post, but for some reason it’s quoting Sister. Anyway, #3, 4, and 5 don’t apply to Whitney. How much time did she spend in and out of jail and court for her drug use? It’s not like she was Lindsay Lohan in that respect.

      The thing about this is that Whitney ABUSED drugs. If drugs were legalized and she had doctors measuring out how much she could take safely, it wouldn’t have been enough for her (because abusers use TOO MUCH). She would have found a way to get more. Think about all the LEGAL prescription drugs (which it appears contributed to Whitney’s death). That stuff was all legal…but Whitney was taking too much of it, too often.

      • lisa says:

        I work in a pharmacy and let me tell you, just because these drugs are legal does not mean that addicts are not doing everything they can to feed their addictions. The term seeker exists in the medical world for a reason. It is a doctor hopping, insurance plotting vs cash paying, scheming world that many addicts live in. Also, if someone is addicted to a drug and a doctor knowlingly still prescribes it regardless of it being a safe dose is ludicrous. That is called enabling and is NOT practicing medicine.

      • Julie says:

        I’ve had a script for Xanex, the little footballs. I can pick up the phone and have my doc call in a refill, primarily because I don’t abuse them and need only in a time of complete crisis. But I will tell you this while abusing a diff kind of drug, it was incredibly easy to score bars on the streets. Every time I turned around someone was trying to sell me some. Docs may be part of the problem, but I don’t need a doc to be a script med addict. Far from it.

      • OriginalTiffany says:

        @Lisa, I will say that in the hospital, especially the ER, we are always on the lookout for seekers. They doctor shop, visit all the ERs, anything for a fix.
        Idiotic. first off we catch it in the ER.
        Secondly, you mix benzos, pain pills and alcohol and your respiratory systems just shuts down.

    • demian bichir says:

      Agreed.

    • ol cranky says:

      While I agree the “war on drugs” is bs and a resounding failure, legalizing drugs would not have prevented the Houston’s death nor would it prevent the deaths of anyone else who dies from an overdose or from complications/sequalae of drug abuse. Anyone who implies otherwise is being irresponsible.

      • lisa says:

        I’m talking about other drug addicts.

        In HER case she had every opportunity to get help and like with a lot of addicts, it didn’t work.

    • RobN says:

      This may be the most naive post I’ve ever read.

  21. Anastasia says:

    I had a coworker who died in a similar fashion. She had just undergone a fairly minor surgical procedure, but she apparently took a couple of painkillers plus a Xanax and got into a hot tub for the pain relief. She passed out and drowned.

    So sad.

  22. Dee Cee says:

    Fragile.. love doesn’t give them enough courage and support.. they want OUT.. just drift away on peaceful cloud..

  23. Shy says:

    Legend Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston died from drugs that GAVE THEM DOCTOR. How stupid is that? They should prosecute doctor. And put him in jail. Or at least take his license. Once that will happen one or two times and every doctor will think twice before subscribe those drugs to idiots. Celebrity or ordinary idiots.

    Another idiot Demi Moore was very happy that she stayed alive. She could be on coroners table too. They should do something about it. I’m so tired of those celebrity deaths. Can you imagine what will happen when Lohan will die? Can you imagine all those articles on Radar and TMZ? They will write about it for weeks. About poor young talented star. Lohan please don’t die. I can’t handle your postmortem articles.

    • cr says:

      Sadly, docs prescribing drugs they’re not supposed to happens all the time, and even the threat of prosecution/loss of license/etc. isn’t enough to make those who want to do it to stop doing so.
      I do wonder if all the drugs came from the same doc. Was she turned down by any doctor?

  24. summer_surfer says:

    i wonder how pissed B. is, that she released Blue Ivy’s pics only to be immediately upstaged by this tragedy.

    R.I.P Whitney, you were one in a million.

    • demian bichir says:

      Don’t worry about B. She’s probably going to perform a tribute to Whitney HOUSTON.I’m sure Clive Davis ain’t gonna miss this opportunity too and that this no career JHud is going to be on that stage too.
      What a shame!A lot of people like to put the blame on BOBBY but what they forget is that this Clive Davis was probably more responsable in her death than him.

      • cr says:

        Why is Clive more responsible?
        A friend wonders if she didn’t start using drugs even when she was modelling, it just didn’t go full blown until Bobby.

      • star1 says:

        I have to say I wonder about the pressures she felt trying to live up to what he wanted. He told the AP before hand (before she died) that she would likely perform and then on stage at the party, he pointedly said that she was not scheduled to. I read on TMZ that she took Xanax before big performances. If she’d been able to attend the party without performing there probably would have been a lot less pressure on her. She may not have known how to say no to him because she knew how important this party was to him and she felt indebted to him. It’s not his fault but he is very determined, despite all his success, to keep topping himself. I had mixed feelings hearing that Jennifer Hudson was doing the tribute to her – another Davis protege. It just felt strange. I also think the party should have been canceled but anyway…

        Thanks for the reporting CB although you all have said some mean things about her over the years… maybe we should be a little more considerate and compassionate towards talented people with addiction problems who also can’t handle the large fame.

      • demian bichir says:

        Finally B didn’t come to the Grammy’s,so she’s probably going to do a tribute to her another time.Clive is like a soprano maffioso,Whitney HOUSTON was just an investment.J.HUD keeps getting this opportunities because of his many connections in the biz.She shouldn’t be performing at the grammy’s at all,she’s starting to get on my F***king nerves.

        Now for the real Whitney fans out there take a look at this and tell me who should be performing a tribute :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_yiCIow6fI

    • Newtsgal says:

      I was thinking the same thing!
      😉

    • LAK says:

      i thought the same. And add that Jennifer Hudson is turning into a thorn in B’s side. She keeps trumping her planned big moments 😉

      RIP Whitney. Thank you for the music.

  25. Eleonor says:

    I’m sorry to discover her death, she was talented, she was great, but for me she has been dead for years.

  26. sm255 says:

    I’m still left here, wondering if this is a horrible nightmare and I’m going to wake up from it at any minute.

  27. Floridaseaturtle says:

    Idea, someone that loves and is close to Lindsay L could approach her (right away), with 4 photographs, one of Whitney when she is beautiful, and one of Whitney two nights ago leaving Tru Nightclub. One of Lindsay beautifu, and one of Lindsay a couple of nights ago all swollen and disheveled. There would be nothing left to say.

  28. JustaGirl says:

    That isolated track is just…wow! She had a voice in a billion. Such a sad loss of a great talent.

  29. wunder says:

    Wonder if this overdose was deliberate?

    • Julie says:

      IMO if it would have been deliberate she would have done it one the bed and not bath tub.

    • demian bichir says:

      Agreed.When you take enough meds to kill an elephant the last thing that comes to your mind is to take a bath NO?You just go to your bed OK!

      Something sound fishy in this story.Why didn’t they let BOBBI see her?What are they trying to hide?

  30. Madison says:

    Shocked but not suprised, it was only a matter of time. Such a shame and waste of a beautiful voice, too bad she wasted her life and talent away on drugs and alcohol.

    Now is not the time for Tony Bennett to be talking about legalizing drugs, it wouldn’t have saved Whitney Houston or the thousands of other drug addicts that died that day.

  31. Newtsgal says:

    Well, on the lighter side you just know the ratings for the Grammy’s will be up this year.

  32. SisterMaryHotPantz says:

    Wow! The Enquirer this week (before Whitney died) has Whitney on the cover with the headline “Whitney Collapses!” The last line of the article states a source said she “is playing Russian Roulette with her life.”

  33. anne_000 says:

    Jennifer Hudson to do a Whitney tribute? Pathetic.

    • whatthehell456 says:

      Agreed. The best homage they could do for Whitney is to have a video clip of some of her best moments. No one else can sing like her…even if I don’t enjoy her music, her talent was undeniable.

    • LAK says:

      Actually i was very moved when she did the Michael Jackson tribute. She didn’t hijack the occasion so that it became about her -side eye Usher, xtina at Etta James Funeral

      She’s the only singer who has the range, who generally still sings rather than do vocal exercises.

      It also gives me extra pleasure that she is once again stealing Beyonce’s thunder – yes i know it’s about Whitney, but can you imagine the fury at Beyonce towers….she’s starving herself, exercising like crazy and this happens to upstage whatever stunt she was planning AND they pick THAT nobody to sing the tribute?????

      It’s delicious.

    • Hypocricy says:

      I don’t mind Jennifer Hudson but I think Dionne Warwick would be perfect for it in a more genuine emotionally way.

    • jl says:

      at least it’s not Xtina!

  34. Ogechi says:

    Today has been a sad day for me. She was an icon & still is.

  35. skuddles says:

    Addiction claims another enormous talent. Her poor body was so poisoned by the many years of hardcore abuse I’m guessing it couldn’t handle anything anymore… pills, booze, whatever. RIP Whitney.

  36. Bad Gal Addiction says:

    How about they cut Chris Brown out if the Grammys for Whitney’s tribute!!!

    And Tony Bennett needs to STFU and sit down somewhere. I wanna punch him in his face for his tastless babble. It’s not even clear how she died.

    • maemay says:

      Chris brown would make it all about HIMSELF, like he did with the MJ tributes self appointing himself as the heir to his throne.

    • skuddles says:

      Ditching Chris Brown in favor of a Whitney tribute is a perfect idea!

  37. Chaka says:

    Lady Gaga isn’t even performing. That comment seems kinda unnecessary though…

  38. Hypocricy says:

    According “Essence” online magazine citing TMZ, Bobbi Kristina was rushed to the hospital due to “complete breakdown” upon finding out.

    She was later taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center around 11pm last night for unspecified reasons.

  39. the original bellaluna says:

    I’m saddened, but not really shocked, by this news.

    Thoughts and prayers to friends, family, and loved ones.

  40. ol cranky says:

    oops, what hypocricy (above) said

  41. Aqua says:

    It’s interesting how we forget how truly talented someone is until that person has passed away. Often we look back and remember that person with fondness and admiration to when their career and their talent were both at it’s peak.

    • demian bichir says:

      True.
      “We build them up to bring them down”
      -hollywood.
      The lesson is that they’re not icons nor superheros,they’re just humans like me and you.GOD gave a beautiful gift to Whitney it’s called talent.
      R.I.P.Whitney HOUSTON.

  42. ambergesa says:

    This truly breaks my heart. Watching all of her old videos, remembering the first time I heard “I Will Always Love You” and the hair raising on my body. Her voice was so unearthly beautiful. She was stunningly beautiful and seemed to sparkle with vivaciousness and personality. To think all that stolen, leached away by drugs. Now she’s gone forever. No more chances at redemption. Her poor daughter. It makes me realize to be grateful for my health, life and the grace that none of my poor choices were fatal. RIP Whitney

    • Carolyn says:

      Couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s so sad Whitney chose this path. Agree with other bloggers…show a montage of Whitney singing. Let HER voice sing.

  43. Amanda G says:

    How could Bobby put on a concert and make it all about him when the mother of his child died? What a rotten human being. I really hope the good people in Bobbi’s life can rally around her, but it also makes me wonder if there are good people? Are Cissy and Dionne enablers? I don’t know.

    I’m so sad about Whitney. She never really embraced sobriety. I remember during her Oprah interview she said she still drinks and drinking was Bobby’s problem, not hers.

    I’m curious how the Grammy’s will handle this. Seems like it should be somber since Whitney is such an icon. J.Hud as tribute? I’m thinking Ms. Aretha would be better…

  44. Hypocricy says:

    I know that many people blame Bobby and even wish him dead but If there is one thing Whitney’s death could bring in terms of positivity is for him to grow and to become the best responsible father he could for their daughter.

    People can speculate about his wrong doing but he never seem devoid of fatherly love toward their daughter and he is the closest parent she has left now.

    So I hope he gets better, more responsible and involved in his child’s life. That he showers her with love, support and help her get through that tragedy, becoming herself a young responsible adult carrying out the legacy of her mother with grace and dignity.

    Bless her young heart !

  45. anne_000 says:

    According to Radar Online, Bobbi Kristina was rushed from the same hotel to Cedar Sinai hospital on a stretcher. But they don’t say what the cause of it was.

  46. Newtsgal says:

    Wonder how long it will be before Lilo comes out with a statment like she did when Micheal and Heath died….. her sayin’ how close they were and how upset she is by her death…..I’m just saying.
    That and I wonder how ol’Bey will try to turn the attention spotlight back on her and baby BIC. Leave it to her to decide to rename BIC to Blue Ivy Whitney Carter

  47. Angela B says:

    So beyond sad all day….just can’t stop praying for her daughter, mother and the rest of her family. She was such an influence in my life and millions of others. I hope they honor her well tonite.

  48. TheOriginalVictoria says:

    Like I said on Rhymes with Snitch, even as my heart breaks, I thank Whitney for being the diva she is putting Beyshameless in her place, who released those pictures a few nights before the Grammys so when she made her performance/appearance, the night would once again be taken away from the true winners of the year like Adele and memorials such as Amy, Etta and Don.

    And if she strolls in there trying to dedicate Halo or that tired ass sacrilegious version of Ave Maria she claims to have written, the same songs she has dedicated to Haiti and Michael because she is that fake and careless, I will be CB first thing in the morning saying, I told you so.

    J Hud…has a great voice, but she is not up snuff to perform anything in honor of Whitney. Only the last two members of the Holy Trinity of Vocals should be singing for their sister Whitney and that is Celine and Mariah. I don’t care what any hater says, these women are the vocal Goddesses of Whitney’s generation and only THEY could do her true justice. X-Tina and Beyonce will make it all about them and J-Hud is not close to being a DIVA. Chaka, Gladys, Taylor Dane needs to get in on it too.

    • LAK says:

      B claims to have written Ave Maria???!!! Schubert must be spinning in his grave.

    • Hypocricy says:

      So true

      Whitney’s death and rediscovering the the 80’s, especially the slow jams genre made me realise even more the sad state of music today.

      I was listenning to The Ojay, Patrice Rushen, Atlantic Stars, Midnight Stars, Eugene Wilde, George Benson, Whitney, Teddy pendergrass, Dionne Warwick, Rene & Angela, ect…

      Where are their equivalent today ? All we have is fabricated stars with no talent whatosever who act like they are the first coming after Jesus including compared to their older peers.

      I remembered in the 80’s, even old iconic groups like the Temptation were still humble.

      Also I was watching at Whitney, Phillys Hyman, Melba Moore and Angela Boffil’s clips…Those ladies were 100 times more beautiful, more sophisticated and more sexy than Bey. No exaggerated blond weave, no dancing in underwears, bra and suspenders and yet, they were so much more sexy and beautiful in their sophisticated gowns while adopting a humble unqueenlike attitude.

      Today it’s mediocrity, obscenity and arrogance at its proxysm and I am sorry Beyonce lead that bunch of those new trashy stars. She has been in the business longer, has been raised listenning to En Vogue and good music and she deliberately has traded her initial average decency and certain talent for mediocrity and trashiness.

      She has no art, no direction, just marketing and doing what’s in today to make money out of junk if needed because she is only motivated by money making and by staying the number one even if it’s by selling her soul and being constantly in our face even when being so called pregnant. Breaking records is her second motivation. She is obssessed to be at that number one spot: number one singer turn actress to be granted major award, number one most beautiful, the one with the biggest selling album and blah, blah. That’s all that motivating her instead of leaving her trademark with timeless songs. She is a product and not an artist.

  49. LeeLoo says:

    TMZ sort of irked me last night when they were taking pictures of her coming out in a body bag. It’s like no one really wants to see that do they? I wish they had more integrity about it.

    Sadly, people who drown after taking a sedative is more common than people know. For Whitney this sounds like a really sad way to go, especially since it sounds like she was probably still clean from the hard stuff but got pushed into substituting her addiction with these pills. All I have to say is that I hope these pill pushing doctors are brought to justice. I’m tired of hearing about these prescription drugs being pushed onto the highest bidder.

    I hope Bobbi Kristina gets the support and help that she needs. If the rumors of her going down the same path are true then I hope she takes this opportunity to get clean and find some stability.

  50. lucy2 says:

    How sad. Yet another life possibly lost to legal drugs?

    I hope this is a wake up call for her daughter, if nothing else.

  51. maemay says:

    So apparently Whitney’s daughter was rushed to the hospital. Radar says that she self medicated with alcohol and them members of Whitney entourage gave her sedatives to calm her down. This seems rather fishy, why would they do that to the daughter considering what just happend…something is NOT RIGHT with this picture and further investigation into the ENTOURAGE needs to happen.

    • jwoolman says:

      Giving people sedatives to help deal with a recent death in the family has been a common medical practice for many generations. Explains the preternatural calm sometimes observed at wakes… But mixing it with alcohol is always stupid and dangerous, as is the case for many prescription drugs. What a shock for the kid, though. Her mother was too young for such a loss to be expected regardless of her history. She lost her mom during the adolescent conflict phase rather than having a chance to ease into the adult friendship phase. She might be dealing with too many “if only I had done” thoughts as well. Hope she heals properly.

  52. lost a great actress, a diva.

  53. Kara Ann says:

    I am so saddened by Whitney’s death. Her voice was so clear, so beautiful and it forms the background of so many of my personal memories. Strange how a perfect stranger can be an integral part of the fabric of your life…but she was for me and I’m sure many others.
    Just a few notes of a song will recall a certain moment, a group of people, a different “me”.
    My elderly grandmother was sick and unable to buy me a b’day present one year, something that she always did for me despite having over 20 grandchildren that she didn’t buy for. Anyway, that year she gave me money and I used that to buy Whitney’s Bodyguard tape. I played it constantly. Whitney remains for me a link to my youth, my grandmother, and it is so very sad to lose her at such a young age. RIP
    I will include her family and especially her daughter in my prayers.

  54. Maritza says:

    I was shocked to hear the news this morning and felt so sad I truly loved her singing.

  55. shoeaddict says:

    There’s a huge difference in taking a pill or two and “falling asleep” and then “drowning” in your bathtub. Just can’t happen because you would wake up. Now if you took a sh*t load of pills you could become what doctors call “deep sedation” and could easily drown in the tub. Deep dedation is used for surgical procedures andsome endoscopic procedures. That’s what Dr. Murray was doing for MJ. So the only way for Whitney to drown was either she took a shitload of pills or if she had some other i

    • Hypocricy says:

      Or the mix of both pills and alcohol which is one of the rumors that are out.

      • skuddles says:

        I once took Lorazepam for a few weeks to help treat a sleep problem and I found it to be a pretty rank drug. I had to be careful to take it right before I crawled into bed or I’d run the risk of falling into an abrupt sleep while playing on my computer. I’d wake up with the sorest neck imaginable as I was still sitting up, mouse in hand, and completely disoriented. Not a drug to be messed with. I also recall my doctor telling me it is dangerous to mix Lorazepam with alcohol as it can cause you to lapse into unconsciousness. Needless to say that scared the crap out of me and I didn’t dare touch any booze when I was on it.

  56. Lisa says:

    It’s shocking in that she was basically out of the public eye before this happened. She wasn’t what I’d call a highly visible celeb, even with her controversies.

    Definitely sad. Her daughter must be shattered. 🙁

  57. shoeaddict says:

    Sorry my cat ran across my keyboard and my comment was posted before it was finished. So to summarize,either Whitney took a shit load of pills became deeply sedated and drowned or she died first from something else like a heart arrhythmia or stroke and then slipped under water. We need to wait for the autopsy to determine whether she drowned or not. What blows my mind is that Whitney’s entourage gave her daughter HER MOTHER’S sedatives to calm her down last night and she subsequently PASSED OUT. What kind of IDIOTS are these people? And also, why did a known drug addict have scripts for 3 benzos? If these scripts were from the same dr then this is beginning to look like yet another dr enabled death.

  58. Dena says:

    I have nothing but compassion and empathy for people who are suffering with addictions. It’s not an easy walk or an easy battle. The price of escspism and/or thrill seeking is often a price too dear.

    For those of you who say it’s a choice. Good, if that makes you feel as if
    you have some personal power over your drug of choice. However, you don’t know and we don’t know the personal demons Whitney Houston et. al. battled against. Therefore, to be less than sensitive to that is to deny compassion for not only her but for yourself when you walked in shoes similar to hers. Moreover, it would be insensitive for those of us who have never experienced addiction to.say to you “how stupid; what a waste of life.” The beautiful beautiful thing is that Whitney got a chance to share her amazing talent with the world before she dead and was applauded for it. RIP Whitney.

    • Julie says:

      Beautifully written Dena and unfortunately to some who appear to be completely clueless. My dad died recently from an addiction and we later found a letter to his children. In it, he talked about the pure evilness of the addiction in the way as the opposite of Godly. I’ve had my battles as well and it helps me to sometimes see it that way, a battle between God and evil over my life.

  59. dorothy says:

    So sad. Seems like so many people in Hollywood have problems with fame, money, drugs…etc.. Heath Ledger, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Lindsay Lohan and scores more. I’m just not convinced that the whole celebrity scene is a good thing. On the flip side you have trolls like Kim Kardashian who are already dead from selling their soul.

  60. MYol says:

    I saw her in concert some 14 years ago and she was a real singer and a real artist. So sad she was taken away way before her time. RIP Whitney, you will be missed!

  61. Gigohead says:

    All of Whitney songs have taken me to vital place in my life. From the lovelorn teenager to the scorned wife. I’ve lived it all and I am so grateful for her talent and praise God for blessing us with her incredible gift.

  62. LJ says:

    Another wasted talent, or talent wasted. While its sad that she is gone I am sure there were a lot more deserving people that died today than Whitney. The same hyperbole that built her up took her down.

  63. wunder says:

    If it was an accident, then why are the police treating this like a crime scene I wonder?

    • Inari says:

      Because there’s always a chance it wasn’t, so they have to treat it like it was a crime. Everything has to be investigated thoroughly now, because possible evidence could disappear forever, especially after the room is “reopened”.

      And now that I think about it, they may be building a criminal case even if the death itself was accidental; if the same doctor prescribed everything, xe might be held accountable.

      Whatever the case, they don’t want to mess up, so better safe than sorry.

  64. hillbillygirl45 says:

    Could someone explain why this particular death is affecting me so much? I actually have lost sleep and shed tears over Whitney. I knew of her problems, still, I’m extremely sad….I saw the video of the song “I Will Always Love You”, and I burst into tears! Why do I feel so damn sad?

    • Hypocricy says:

      Maybe because we grew up with her in a time full of promises and optimism and where music was about celebrating life, romance, sweetness, love, ect.

      Because when she was in the scene, she was young and beautiful and romantic and the epitom of those times where music wasn’t obscene, angry, ect.

      Whitney died for a second time. She died musically a long time ago but we all expect she would come back and revive our youth and dreams with the same type of music. Now our dreams have been shut down for good and all we have left are memories of a romantic and glorious past with her ballads.

      Today stars are too cynical, too arrogant, too trashy and their music ridden with anger and obscenity. It doesn’t trigger the same feelings, the same emotion and you just can’t have the same connection or empathy when they talk about bling bling, using the n word or the B word…Nothing romantic in there.

  65. Jayna says:

    It doesn’t affect me too much, because it’s not so unexpected. Though, it’s very sad to see the trajectory of her life. She has been a drug addict/alcoholic for 20 something years and basically out of the music industry. Her comeback tour was a mess. My friend went and said it was sad and that she was obviously on something to her and a shadow of her former self.

    She was out drunk the night before at that pre-party according to TMZ arguing over some woman hitting on her loser boytoy.

    Whitney’s voice is one of the greatest of all time. I will love Whitney’s earlier career and music forever and what she gave me, but that classy Whitney has been gone so long it’s hard to remember her. Even slightly cleaned up she had a rough persona in her later years.

    Who I feel sorry for is her daughter. She doesn’t have a chance the way she and Bobby raised her, in such an addicted, dysfunctional household. Anybody see their reality show? Whitney was shocking. Even on Oprah when she said she was off hard stuff there was a roughness to her and I knew she would never be off everything. It is being reported by TMZ that the night before Whitney died the hotel was called to Bobbi Christina’s room because she had mixed prescription drugs and alcohol and was unconcious. This was the night before Whitney died. Then the same thing happened after her mom dies. I fear her ending will not be good because of no role models to emulate and possibly the inheriting their addictive personalities and now the grief over losing her mother. I pray for the child more than anything and Whitney’s wonderful mother who has suffered through so much worrying about Whitney for so long.

  66. Julia says:

    This is so sad. I still can’t believe that she was so young and died. Such a voice and talent wasted.

  67. Jana G says:

    I have to wonder where her 10 person entourage is when she is taking all these perscription meds…she has them following her around everywhere she goes, but no one is around when she actually needs protected, sadly from herself.