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The first part of Bobby Brown’s interview with Matt Lauer aired on The Today Show this morning. We had some advance details yesterday, when we heard that Bobby denied being the one who got Whitney hooked on drugs. He told Lauer that Whitney was doing narcotics before he met her, and that he had only done pot and booze before they got together.

Bobby said a lot of really nice things about how much he loved Whitney and cherished their time together. He didn’t seem that emotional about her, though. He was somewhat detached when it came to describing how he learned about her death. Bobby came across as very pragmatic about Whitney, and I guess I expected him to at least get choked up about her. When you lose someone and are describing how you found out they died you usually remember how you felt at the time and start to get teary about it. He did say that he cried at the time. Maybe he’s just very guarded about his feelings. Here’s more:

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston may no longer have been a couple when she died in February, but as he told TODAY’s Matt Lauer in an interview that aired Wednesday morning — his first interview since her death — he still misses her fiercely.

“Our relationship was great,” he said. “I had 14 beautiful, beautiful years with that woman.” And it’s not just his revisionist history, he insisted: “I can honestly say that — I loved that woman with — with everything that I am. And I believe she loved me the same way.”

Still, Whitney and Bobby’s relationship was, almost from the start, filled with conflict of one kind or the other. Brown says he never used hard drugs before meeting Houston, and said that she had used drugs before they were involved. “I worried about it when … we first got together until I tried it,” he said. “And when I tried it, for some reason, I have an addictive personality.”

He does have some regrets, wondering to Lauer whether “I coulda done something different, you know to — ensure that she had a longer life. But … you have to want it, you know?”

The 2005 single-season reality show “Being Bobby Brown,” which put an uncomfortable spotlight on their relationship and showed Houston’s temper flaring, he says, was a “wake-up, because we were able to see what others were saying about us …. (to) see that our drug use had affected our relationship, had affected the love we felt for each other.”

But Houston declined to appear on a second season of the show, and the pair separated in 2006; they divorced the following year. Still, said Brown — who told Lauer he would be getting remarried “soon” — he still has a lot of room in his heart for his late former wife.

“My fiancee knows how I felt about that woman,” Brown said. “My kids know how I feel … how I felt about Whitney. It’s not a secret, you know? I was in love with her deeply.”

[From The Today Show.MSNBC.com]

Bobby loved Whitney, but he had moved on from her before she died, and it showed. I like what he said about how she was glowing the last time he saw her, a week before her death. We heard rumors of their reconciliation back in 2008, and I tend to think they had an on-off relationship that didn’t end for good until one of them was in another relationship.

Also, I just want to say that I’m glad Matt Lauer did this interview instead of Ann Curry. Ann would have just asked Bobby how he was doing and gone “mmmhmm” and tried to look deep into his eyes, probing for sadness. She wouldn’t have asked any hard questions at all.

In 2001

Bobby Brown is about to have a two-part interview air with Matt Lauer on the Today Show tomorrow and Thursday. The Huffington Post has a preview for us, and of course they primarily talk about Brown’s late ex wife, Whitney Houston. The way Brown’s statement is worded, it sounds like he’s sort-of suggesting that it was Whitney who turned him on to drugs, not the other way around. Remember when Whitney went on Oprah and said that Bobby was “her drug”? She said in 2009 that “He was my drug. I didn’t do anything without him. I wasn’t getting high by myself. It was me and him together. We were partners.”

A lot of people blamed Bobby for corrupting Whitney somehow and turning her into an addict. She had such a sweet songstress image in the 80s when she hit the scene, and that all went downhill when she married Bobby. Of course Bobby wasn’t around and had been out of the picture for years when she ultimately died from drugs. He’s now trying to set the record straight, and claims that he’s not the one who got Whitney hooked. Here’s more, thanks to the Huffington Post:

Since the death of his ex-wife, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown has been targeted by those who believe his “negative influence” on the legendary singer led to her tragic end. Now, Brown is speaking out for the first time since Houston’s death, telling NBC’s “Today” show anchor Matt Lauer, “I’m not the reason she’s gone.”

Brown had dinner with Houston and the ex-couple’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, a week before the singer’s death and remembers a glowing Whitney who “looked really well” and exhibited a positive demeanor that left Brown even more shocked upon news of her death.

“I was hurt. I was hurt … Because, you know, me being off of narcotics for the last seven years — I felt that she was, you know, I didn’t know she was struggling with it still. But at the same time, you know– listen, it’s a hard fight,” Brown told Lauer. “It’s a hard fight to, you know, maintain sobriety that way.”

But Brown doesn’t blame Houston’s longtime battle with drug use for her death.

“From what I feel and you know, how I saw her, the last time I saw her, it had to be that particular day. You know, it had to be that one, because that’s all it takes … One hit, you know, and you know, it could definitely take your life away from you. And, unfortunately, that was it.”

As for those who believe that Brown’s introduction into Houston’s life is what sparked her downward spiral, Brown says those negative comments coming from Houston’s family, friends and fans have no grounds.

“I didn’t get high before I met Whitney … I smoked weed, I drank the beer, but no, I wasn’t the one that got Whitney on drugs at all … I’m not the reason she’s gone.” Brown says.

Though Brown tells Lauer that he has been off drugs for seven years, the singer seems to still be battling alcohol abuse. Brown pled no contest last Wednesday to his March DUI arrest. Brown will reportedly undergo a 90-day alcohol education course as well as three years of informal probation as part of his sentence.

[From Huffington Post]

At least Bobby isn’t doing the hard stuff anymore, although drinking and driving can definitely kill you. I guess I believe him that he didn’t introduce Whitney to drugs. Even if he did, she’s responsible for her own drug use and she chose to stay with him for a long time.

Have you guys heard this other crazy story about Whitney? A former bodyguard for Micheal Jackson (who also claims to be Blanket’s dad, and he looks just like the kid. There’s a video here with more on that if you’re interested) says that Whitney and Michael Jackson had a fling in the early 90s, and that Jackson was head over heels for Whitney and never got over her. Really, that’s what this guy claims. Here are his quotes, via Wonderwall:

, “This affair will end all the myths that Michael was some kind of child molester. He was a straight man. One of the many stories that has never been told about Michael is that he had an ultra-secret affair with Whitney Houston that he never got over. He was furious when he heard she had also slept with (brother) Jermaine, but this didn’t stop him holding a candle for her his whole life.”

Fiddes tells the publication Jackson and Houston met in 1991, when both were at the height of their careers.

He says, “They instantly connected as kindred spirits because they understood each other’s massive fame. Whitney practically moved in to Michael’s ranch and they had a fling like any other young couple. But Michael said later he had always hoped the relationship had gone further, and I know he dreamed of marrying her.”

Fiddes claims the romance lasted just two weeks and came a year before Houston wed Bobby Brown.

[From Wonderwall]

I don’t know, I’m not really buying it. I see Jackson as having been either asexual or not interesting in adult relationships, and I’ll leave it at that.

It will be interesting to see Bobby’s interview tomorrow. I bet he’s still in a lot of pain. There were stories that he behaved badly at Whitney’s funeral, but he claims he was treated poorly by security.

In 2004 with Bobbi Kristina:

In 2000:

Photo credit: Bauer Griffin and Fame

Just reading some of these quotes from Bobbi Kristina on Oprah’s show honestly made me cry a little. I cannot imagine losing my mom like that and my heart goes out to her. Still, I do feel like it’s too soon for her to be giving interviews about her mom’s death. Oprah scored an interview with Whitney Houston’s 19 year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. (Update: DListed has the video, and it’s below now.) From the little I could see on the video, Bobbi Kristina seems in good spirits. She finds a lot of comfort in her fond memories of her mom, and belief that she’s with her in spirit. Here’s some of what she said:

In her first interview since Whitney Houston’s death, daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown said she’s “doing as good as I possibly can” and recalled the tender last moments she shared with her superstar mother before her sudden death last month.

“She’s always with me,” said the 19-year-old, Houston’s only child and sole heir. “Her spirit is strong, it’s a strong spirit. I feel her pass through me all the time.”

“I can hear her voice in spirit talking to me, ‘Keep talking to me. I got you,’” says Brown. “She’s always with me. I can always feel her. I can always feel her with me. She always asked me,’Do you need me?’ And I caught myself, out of nowhere, I didn’t even know I said it, I said, ‘I’ll always need you.’ ”

Brown made the comments in a Sunday interview with Oprah Winfrey on Winfrey’s network, OWN, that also featured Pat Houston, the singer’s manager and sister-in-law, and Gary Houston, the brother of Whitney Houston.

Brown credited her family and God for helping her cope since her mother’s death on Feb. 11 at the age of 48.

“It comes in waves. One moment I can be happy and laughing, but then it comes over me. It’s my mom,” she said.

Houston, who had struggled with drugs and alcohol in the past but according to family had been apparently clean, was found in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on the eve of the Grammys. She was to attend a pre-Grammy party the night she died.

Brown said the night before her mother’s death, she asked Houston to spend the night with her.

“I slept in her arms all day, all night long,” said Brown, whose father is singer Bobby Brown.

Pat Houston said in the days before Houston died, the singer had not been abusing drugs, despite reports that she had been acting erratically.

[From Huffington Post, with additional quotes from People.com]

Bobbi Kristina also said that she just automatically wakes up at 5:00 am every day and starts praying for her mom. She said that she believes her mom turns on and off lights in the house. She added “I can still laugh. I can still sit there and I can still talk to her.” She also thinks that Whitney’s spirit told her that it was ok for her to “come home.”

As for the other interview on Oprah’s show last night, it’s worth noting that Pat Houston is not the sister-in-law who sold Whitney out to the National Enquirer years ago, nor is she the sister-in-law who was wasted out of her mind on Access Hollywood recently. Those two in-laws are on Bobby Brown’s side, predictably. Like the wasted sister-in-law we just heard from, Pat Houston seems to think there’s some kind of conspiracy surrounding Whitney’s death. She told Oprah she “didn’t know how” Whitney got in the tub where she was found dead. Pat didn’t say outright that Whitney was murdered, though, she just hinted that there was something fishy about it.

I’m glad to know that Bobbi is ok, and that she seems sober. She’s going to launch some kind of singing career, which she was reportedly aiming for prior to her mother’s death. She told Oprah “I have to carry on the legacy. We’re going to do the singing thing. Some acting, some dancing.” I just hope she has good people around her.

There’s also news that Bobbi Kristina wants to change her last name from “Brown” to “Houston,” probably more in memory of her mom than necessarily to cut ties with her dad. At least I hope that’s the case.

Update: Here’s the video, .

Is it wrong that when I’m watching this would-be serious video with Bobby Brown’s sister that all I can focus on are her sparkly eyes and glistening lips? She’s got some huge spider eyelashes going on too. Anyway Bobby Brown’s sister talked to Access Hollywood about how concerned she is for her niece, Bobby and Whitney’s daughter Bobbi Kristina. She also seems to think Whitney’s death was some kind of conspiracy. Unlike the family friend who previously spoke to Extra, “Aunt Dolly,” Bobbi Kristina’s real aunt seems like she’s in it for the paycheck and doesn’t give a rat’s ass about Bobbi. She wants Bobbi Kristina to know that she shouldn’t trust anyone, though, except for her dad, grandmother and herself of course. She also seems to think Whitney’s death was some kind of conspiracy, probably because she takes a cocktail of prescription drugs too and nothing’s happened to her yet. Here’s some of what she said, and you really have to watch it. She can hardly keep her eyes open, and it’s no wonder with all the crap she has spackled on them. In all seriousness she looks completely drugged out and wasted to me. Poor Bobbi Kristina.

Bobbi Kristina should not trust anyone
I want to say to Krissy that it’s very very very important that she does not trust anybody at this time, anybody except her father, her grandmother Sissy and myself. And I mean that.

Right now is the time to just really shut the door.

Bobby Brown is not to blame
Bobby [Brown] has nothing, nothing at all to do with Whitney’s death.

[Whitney's] father said he was tired of people talking about his son-in-law. He said Bobby had nothin’ to do with Whitney doing drugs in the past or whatever. Bobby had nothing to do with that.

Believes Whitney’s death was not an accident.
I believe Whitney’s death was not accidental. No.

My attorney has advised me not to get into that at all, but it’s very important to know, she did not pass away like that. No. If it’s the last thing I do I’m going to find out what truly happened to my sister.

This is not same sister who sold out Whitney to the Enquirer back in 2006 by taking photos of her bathroom strewn with drug paraphernalia. Here’s a picture of that lady, Tina Brown. That’s a different person. This is Leola Brown.

Leola’s lawyer also spoke and said “there are persons that possibly who would want to take advantage of Bobbi Kristina’s fragile state of mind.” He seemed sober enough, especially compared to Leola. What can I say except that Bobby Brown has relatives with drug problems who are talking to the press. Watch that video above and tell me this lady is sober by any stretch.

Whitney Houston’s funeral was held yesterday. Even though the family said that they wanted a smaller, more private service, they still allowed cameras into New Hope Baptist Church, and several outlets (including CNN) did wall-to-wall coverage of the event. Guests/mourners at the event included Houston’s family, Mariah Carey, Kevin Costner, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Clive Davis, Stevie Wonder, Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton. Here’s some information about everything that went down:

*Bobbi Kristina sat with her grandmother, Cissy Houston, in the front row of the church. Sources say both Cissy and Bobbi Kristina were very emotional. People Mag reports that Bobbi “broke down.” Come on, guys. That’s her mom. Let her grieve.

*Bobby Brown came to the funeral with an entourage of nine people, and allegedly “demanded” that he and everyone he brought be given front-row seats. Media outlets claim that Bobby was allowed in, but not his entourage, so “He was allowed to go in, pay his respects and then he had to leave. He was red-eyed going up to the casket and then left. He was there for 15 minutes.” And then he left with his entourage. A source tells Us Weekly that Whitney’s family is still pretty pissed off at Bobby: “There are family members who felt Bobby drove Whitney into drugs. But now Bobby is clean and Whitney has unfortunately passed. So there’s resentment.”

*But! After Bobby left the funeral, he gave a statement: “My children and I were invited to the funeral of my ex-wife Whitney Houston,” he said, referring to his three kids from previous relationships Landon, 26, La’princia, 11, Robert Jr., 10, plus Cassius, his two-year-old with wife Alicia Etheridge. “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. 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.” Is it wrong that I actually agree with him? Whitney would have wanted Bobby to be there for the whole thing, I think.

*Kevin Costner spoke at the funeral. He talked about how The Bodyguard got made and how Whitney was cast and all of that. He also said, “To you, Bobbi Kristina, and to all those young girls who are dreaming that dream, thinking that maybe they aren’t good enough, I think Whitney would tell you, guard your bodies. And guard the precious miracle of your own life. Then sing your hearts out.” In closing, he got choked up and said, “Off you go Whitney, off you go. Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly Father. When you sing before him, don’t you worry. You’ll be good enough.”

*Whitney’s casket was carried out to “I Will Always Love You”. That casket was super-shiny, right? It almost glittered.

And that’s about it. I’m sure I forgot to include a lot of stuff, but I’ll admit that I barely watched any of the coverage. It felt like everyone was trying to make this into another Michael Jackson-like “event” when Whitney’s family really wanted everything to be much more private. My guess is that Cissy Houston just figured that if she let media outlets have the live feed of the funeral, the media wouldn’t bother them. It was good to see Whitney’s life and accomplishments celebrated, though, and I truly hope Bobby Kristina and Whitney’s family and loved ones found some peace.

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet and WENN.

The last we heard of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 18, she was claiming to have been “set up” by an ex boyfriend after photos of her snorting cocaine on two different occasions were published in the National Enquirer. I’m sure he held a gun to her head and forced her to do lines. She was also photographed proudly holding an illegal semi-automatic rifle. That photo came out late last year.

Meanwhile Bobbi is launching some kind of music career, and is tweeting about how her first single is about to drop or something. She’s also tweeting about she’s in talks for her own reality show. Of course she is.

Amid rumors of drug addiction and a sex tape, the teenager might be laying her life bare on the small screen soon in her own reality show – news she Tweeted about on Thursday.

“PS EVERYONE ! Guess what ?! _ we are currently in the process of meetings about starting my very OWN! RealityShow!!” she wrote.

Her megastar parents also starred in their own controversial reality series, Being Bobby Brown, in 2005.

In 2009, Whitney came clean about her own battle over the years with drug addiction.

And photos recently surfaced of 18-year-old Bobbi allegedly snorting cocaine amid rumors of a drug problem, something she has vehemently denied, claiming she was “set-up” by an ex-friend.

But that doesn’t seem to bother the young up-and-comer as she looks forward to the future.

“The world needs 2know me 4who I REALLY am_ U all will get 2see my everyday living_ walk with me thro startin my career. . EVERYTHING,” she signed with happy faces.

“I would only want to do this reality show so THEWORLD can know me for me. The GodFearing_Young classy_outgoing_silly_ REAL women iAm.”

[From Radar]

Maybe she’s as much of an oversharer as her mom and dad are, and we’ll hear all about her bathroom activities and personal issues. At least she didn’t make a sex tape to land a show. All she had to do was be herself, get photographed with guns and drugs and then incessantly complain about it on Twitter. I’m sure all the publicity over that mini-scandal only helped her.

Photos are from 2/12/11. Credit: Andrew Evans / PR Photos

*Note by Kaiser: I love Ariel Sharon’s “WTF” expression!

The stories just keep coming about the rumored downfall of diva Whitney Houston. Last week, we told you how Whitney’s tour is on hiatus, and before that, family and close friends are trying to put together an intervention to keep Whitney off the drugs as her comeback tour is hitting the skids. Now, witnesses say they saw Whitney partying with ex-husband Bobby Brown, and since then, Whitney’s been showing signs of her old crack habit: moodswings, excessive sweating, shortness of breath and disorientation. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: how does one tell if Whitney’s using? She always seems a little off to me, everytime I see her.

Is Whitney Houston back on crack? That’s the question friends and family are asking and fearing after the pop diva was hospitalized for a reported upper respiratory infection and canceled the first four European dats on her comeback tour.

Even more disturbing, the Grammy-winner’s free-fall has coincided with her renewed relationship with her troubled ex-husband Bobby Brown, sources say.

“Everyone is worried sick that Whitney is back on crack and abusing drugs again,” revealed a source close to the 46-year-old singer – who once famously said that crack is whack.

“She’s exhibiting telltale signs of an addict. One day she’s upbeat and even-keeled, and the next day she’s a mess – sweating, shaking, disoriented and mumbling incoherently. Just as troubling, she’s reconnected with Bobby, her longtime partner in crime.”

Whitney’s downward spiral began months ago when she appeared breathless, exhausted and disoriented during the Asian and Australian legs of her “Nothing But Love” tour.

The once-commanding entertainer struggled to hit high notes, sweated profusely and tripped over her own feet backstage in South Korea on Feb. 6.

Soon after, insiders say Whitney hooked up with Bobby – who has done multiple rehab stints after abusing heroin, cocaine, marijuana and alcohol. Although he lives with girlfriend Alicia Etheridge, Bobby partied with Whitney and a group of pals at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills on March 10.

“Whitney appeared to be feeling no pain. She was noisy and sweating, and yelling that she needed a drink,” said a source.

“I didn’t see any drugs, but she downed a cosmopolitan and Bobby had a beer. Bobby kept telling Whitney to be quiet but she wouldn’t shut up.”

The source added: “Whitney and Bobby smoked crack cocaine in the past, and she shows many of the signs of being back at it again.”

Questions about her drug use surfaced when, on the eve of kicking off the tour’s European leg, Whitney abruptly canceled her April 6 concert in Paris and entered a hospital there with an upper respiratory infection.

She also pulled the plug on April 8 and 9 concerts in England, plus an April 11 show in Scotland. She denied reports of drug abuse, claiming: “My health is terrific, but this is a time when I get a lot of allergies.”

After her hospital stay in Paris, Whitney hold up at London’s ritzy Dorchester hotel, and her team made sure the troubled singer looked like a million bucks when she walked out to her car.

Anxious to dispel rumors of drug use, her sister-in-law Pat Houston told The Enquirer: “Whitney is doing fine. Some people have said cruel things, but she’s happy just to have rested in the hotel.”

[From The National Enquirer print version, April 26, 2010]

So, which is it: an upper respiratory infection, or allergies? Because they are two different things. An upper respiratory infection is basically a common cold. It’s a virus, is contagious, and can cause sore throat, runny nose, and even laryngitis. Seasonal allergies are something altogether different. I think it’s a bunch of baloney, either way. It seems like Whitney has an excuse every time she doesn’t sing well, and this time is no different. And if she’s been partying with Bobby Brown again, that’s even worse news. I just hope those ticket holders from her canceled shows can get their money back!

CNN’s Showbiz Tonight had a pretty funny segment (above) ranking the most toxic bachelors of 2009. Jon Gosselin ranked highest, with Levi Johnston, John Mayer and Bobby Brown coming in close behind. It’s a shame that Tiger isn’t divorced yet, because he makes Gosselin look like the clumsiest of amateur philanderers. Runner-ups include Chris Brown and Jude Law. Host Brooke Anderson points out that while some may name Kaiser’s favorites Gerard Butler and George Clooney among the most toxic bachelors, they may get around but are not, in fact “toxic.”

ANDERSON: It seems John Mayer`s second career after a fabulous musician is heartbreaker. From Jennifer Love Hewitt to Jessica Simpson to Jennifer Aniston, this guy`s a major wooer.

JO PIAZZA: There was the big thing where he famously talked about Jennifer Aniston and his relationship with TMZ, talked about their breakup…

ANDERSON: Gabbing about a public breakup? Bad move, John. And so, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares John Mayer`s toxic bachelor rating a mighty three broken hearts out of five…

The most toxic bachelor of 2009 has to be Jon Gosselin, mainly because he was going out and gallivanting with pretty much with anything with ****.

ANDERSON: Aside from his soul mate, 22-year-old Hailey Glassman, who now claims Jon is emotionally abusive, Jon has also has been connected to his babysitter, some questionable types in Vegas, and former “Star” magazine reporter, Kate Major. She told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in an exclusive interview that Jon is a major player…

Jon has to do something to fix his tarnished reputation and fast. But until that day happens, Jon Gosselin is officially named the most toxic bachelor of them all. Jon, you get five broken hearts out of five. Congrats.

[From Transcripts.CNN.com]

It seems like CNN’s criteria for toxic involves the level to which the bachelor makes an ass out of himself in public, not necessarily the amount of women he runs around with. All of those men qualify and I’m sure we can come up with more.

In related Jon Gosselin news, his ex “soulmate,” Hailey Glassman, tweets that her New Year’s resolution is to get Jon “out of my life” and to move out of their shared New York apartment. It’s doubtful that Jon can afford it without her. Last week’s National Enquirer reported that he borrowed $90,000 out of her life savings and wants to pay her back on an “installment plan.” It’s going to take him a while. He’s responsible for over five figures a month in child support and has been legally barred from earning money from public appearances. Jon recently tried to trade in his 2005 BMW for some cash and a Subaru, but got denied by the dealer. What a shame.

The first part of Oprah Winfrey’s interview with Whitney Houston aired Monday, and it was epic. I watched the interview on the edge of my seat, no joke. You know what’s weird? I had almost forgotten a time when Whitney Houston wasn’t a joke. Remember when she was an icon? When that voice just came pouring out of her, and she seemed so heavenly? Well, that woman is back… sort of. There are some elements of that old, Classic Whitney, but there’s also a lot of New Whitney. New Whitney is older, wiser, more honest, funnier, and still pretty crazy.

Like most people, I was a little surprised at just how honest Whitney was for the interview. Some parts were leaked last week – including Whitney’s revelation that there were times where she didn’t get out of bed for months. When that part came, Whitney did admit it to Oprah. Oprah asked what Whitney did in bed, and Whitney listed: drugs, read the Bible, talked on the phone, and watched T.V. When she puts it like that, it sounds like a pretty sweet life. Did anyone else crack up when Whitney really started to describe her drug usage? It was like she came alive! She leaned forward and her face lit up as she said, “You put [it in] your marijuana, you lace it, you roll it up and you smoke it!” People Magazine and The Huffington Post have more from the interview:

Whitney Houston took drugs, including cocaine and marijuana, with ex-husband Bobby Brown, who was emotionally abusive during their marriage and at one point spit on her, the singer said during an interview that aired Monday on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

“I had so much money and so much access to what I wanted,” Houston told Winfrey. “I didn’t think about the singing part anymore. I was looking for my young womanhood.”

After a long absence from music, Houston is staging a career comeback with a new album “I Look to You” released last month and a two-part appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Houston is one of the best-selling artists of all time, but her career stalled as she grappled with drug problems and a troubled marriage to Brown.

The couple married in 1992 and were divorced in 2007. During their marriage, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs. She has custody of their teenage daughter.

“I think somewhere inside, something happens to a man when a woman has that much control or has that much fame,” Whitney said. Asked if Brown was jealous of her, Houston, 46, told Winfrey, “he’s not going to like this, but yes.”

Houston told Winfrey that Brown wasn’t physically abusive but “he slapped me once but he got hit on the head three times by me.”

A phone message left Monday with Brown’s attorney in Atlanta seeking comment was not immediately returned.

Houston said she was attracted to Brown because he took control of their relationship and had “a sweet, gentle tenderness.”

“At home, he was very much the father, he was very much the man,” Houston said. “He was very much in control. I liked that. When he said something, I listened. I was very interested in having someone have that kind of control over me. It was refreshing.”

She described an episode after a birthday party for Brown that left her “horrified. He spit on me, in my face. He actually spit on me. And my daughter was coming down the stairs and she saw it. That was pretty intense. I didn’t grow up with that and I didn’t understand why that occurred – [why] he had such a hate for me because I loved him so much.” Houston also said Brown would smash and break things at their home.

The 46-year-old singer described her drug use, saying it became “heavy” after her 1992 movie “The Bodyguard.” She said she would take marijuana combined with rock cocaine.

“You put your marijuana, you lace it, you roll it up and you smoke it,” Houston explained to Winfrey.

During a 2002 ABC interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston admitted dabbling in drugs but denied using crack, then uttered the now-famous phrase: “Crack is wack.”

“He was my drug,” Houston told Winfrey of Brown. “I didn’t do anything without him. I wasn’t getting high by myself. It was me and him together. We were partners.”

Houston said she stuck with Brown because she took her marriage vows seriously.

“Holy matrimony was a very serious thing for me. I was going to keep my vow. I never cheated,” she says. “The only thing I did was the drugs. . . . He was too promiscuous, dragging dirt into my home. It disturbed me.”

Her drugs of choice were marijuana and rock cocaine. “I was trying to hide the pain,” she says.

Along the way, Houston says, she gave up on her career. “I had totally forgotten about that life,” she says. “I had so much money by that point. I wasn’t thinking about any of that.”

She said she told her daughter about her drug use and took her with her to an Atlanta drug rehab for mothers and children.

“I didn’t lie to her,” Houston said.

Her mother also tried to intervene, the singer said, and at one point came to Houston’s home with police.

The singer prayed for help, asking God to give her strength, she said.

“I was so weak to him,” Houston said. “I was so weak to the love.”

[From the Huffington Post and People]

Overall, I think the interview was a great way for Whitney to showcase her recovery and her comeback. But one thing did bother me – I wish Whitney had taken more responsibility for her actions. She seemed happy enough to answer Oprah’s questions about some of the horrible things Bobby did and their screwed up life together, but Whitney’s timeline for when she began to “get real” about her failing marriage is a little sketchy. She described going off the rails with her drug usage as everything after 1991-2 (after The Bodyguard). So that was 17 years where her life descended into the chaos of drug abuse, and the slow rotting of her marriage to an abusive alcoholic and addict. I realize some people struggle with their addictions for decades, but don’t call it “getting real” when you’re still sprinkling rock cocaine in your joint. The other side of that criticism is that I really did believe Whitney when she talked about how important and sacred her marriage was to her, and it made me understand why she didn’t (or couldn’t) get out. Sort of.

Meanwhile, Bobby Brown spoke to The Insider (story via People) about Whitney’s interview and their marriage: “ I think we corrupted each other… I don’t think she hurt me or I hurt her. I just think we had a 14 year marriage that had its ups and downs and not many people understood it… [I used] an awful lot [of cocaine] – a powerful drug… I think I was bored… I had just gotten married and things weren’t right. Unfortunately, I turned to alcohol and drugs.” Bobby also says the first time they met, at the Soul Train Awards, is “one of the things I try to forget.” Meanwhile, I’m just shocked Bobby’s not in jail. Why is he out in the world?

Here’s a segment on CNN’s Showbiz Tonight discussing the show:

Bobby Brown is going to be a father for the fifth time. His girlfriend of two years is pregnant with their first child together, and is about four months along, according to Us Weekly.

Bobby Brown and his girlfriend Alicia Etheridge are expecting a baby, his agent Ravi Dabiesingh confirms to Usmagazine.com.

It will be the actor’s fifth child.

“Yes, Bobby is expecting his fifth child from Alicia,” Dabiesingh tells Us. “There aren’t too many details out there right now, but we do know he is very excited, as Bobby is big on family. The sex of the baby is not known yet, and we can confirm she is four months along.”

Brown started dating Etheridge in 2007.

He split with Whitney Houston in 2006. They have one daughter, 15-year-old Bobbi Kristina.

The “My Prerogative” singer has three children from other relationships: Landon, LaPrincia and Bobby Jr.

[From Us Magazine]

You don’t really hear much about Bobby anymore, ever since he divorced Whitney and “Being Bobby Brown” went off the air. According to the Internet Movie Database, he’s going to be in a show called “Life on the Road with Mr. and Mrs. Brown,” though it doesn’t appear to actually be about him (i.e. he’s not the “Mr. Brown” referenced in the title), and nothing else was listed about the show.

I guess this will kill off the rest of those rumors about a reconciliation with Whitney.

Here’s Macy Gray, Alicia Etheridge and Bobby Brown in 2007. Images thanks to WENN.