Two years shy of the legal age for gambling, the 19-year-old was seen hitting the slot machines with her older 22-year-old beau Nick Gordon (pictured).  Bobbi Kristina was in Sin City attending the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday night, where her iconic mother was posthumously honored with the Billboard Millennium Award. Bobbi Kris and Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and longtime manager, accepted the highly coveted award for her.

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Meanwhile, the Nevada Gaming Commission has launched a full investigation into Bobbi Kristina’s illegal act and the MGM Grand could be deep trouble if its casino turned a blind eye to the pop princess’ daughter.

If Bobbi Kris is found guilty of illegal gambling, she faces a misdemeanor charge and be hit with a fine up to $1,000 and/or 6 months in prison.  This latest underage gambling case may have opened up a can of worms for the MGM Grand Hotel that could result in a slew of fines and a heap of legal problems.

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Singing alongside Sparks for a tune called “Celebrate,” Houston sounds like her old self. The song is for the upcoming movie “Sparkle,” which is a 1976 remake of the original “Sparkle” that starred Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, and Lonette McKee.

“Sparkle” chronicles the lives of a girl group in the 1960s who struggle with drug abuse and fame. The remake, starring the aforementioned Houston and Sparks, will also star Cee Lo Green, Mike Epps, Carmen Ejogo, and Derek Luke, among others.

For the song, movie producer Harvey Mason Jr. gushed about Houston’s performance of the song, adding that Houston’s recording session was “really positive” and Houston herself was overjoyed by her performance:

“We ended the session dancing around the control room while she said ‘Turn it up! Turn it up!’ She was so fun-loving.”

Listen to Whitney sing “Celebrate” here:

What a tease.

We miss you, Whitney!

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Bobbi Kristina

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The show will shine the spotlight on the other Houston family members fans often didn’t get to see. Besides 19-year-old Bobbi Kristina, the series will also feature sister-in-law/manager Pat and her daughter Ryah, mother Cissy and brother Gary. Whitney’s cousin singer Dionne Warwick and CeCe Winans are also said to be appearing on the show.

According to Lifetime, the reality program will reveal how the Houstons are managing since Whitney’s untimely death back in February, after she suffered cardiac arrest and drowned in a bathtub as a result of extensive drug abuse.  More specifically, the  program will zero in on how the family is supporting and guiding Bobbi Kristina through life’s ups and downs since her mother’s passing.

“The tragic loss of Whitney Houston left a void in the hearts of people all over the world, but certainly none more so than her beloved family,” Rob Sharenow, executive vice president of programming at Lifetime Networks, said in a statement. “In this series, the multi-generations of the Houston family will bravely reveal their lives as they bond together to heal, love, and grow,” Sharenow states, according to KDFW Fox 4 News.

The premiere of the hour-long, ten episode series is slated for sometime later this year.

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The superstar couple met back in 1991, six years after Houston ended her year-long relationship with Jackson’s brother Jermaine.  At the time, Jackson was 33 and Houston was 28.

“They met because they were two of the biggest recording artists on the planet and mixing in the same circles. They instantly connected as kindred spirits, because they understood each other’s massive fame,” says Fiddes, a British martial arts expert.

Even though Jackson was reportedly still disturbed by the fact that his brother had an affair with Houston, he decided to pursue one with her nonetheless. “He was furious when he heard she had also slept with Jermaine but this didn’t stop him [from] holding a candle for her his whole life,” says Fiddes.

Both artists were so smitten by each other that Houston practically moved into the Neverland ranch. Although their relationship reportedly lasted a mere two weeks, Jackson was so enamored with Houston that he actually thought about sealing the deal and making her his wife.  Fiddes, who spoke to Jackson three days before he sucumbed to his unexpected death in 2009, also reveals that his former employer never quite got over Houston when she ended their relationship.

Interestingly enough, two weeks later Houston would go on to meet R&B singer Bobby Brown, marry him, and live a tumultuous lifestyle that included alcohol and drug addiction.

Apparently, Jackson’s torch for Houston was quite evident when the megastars met again in 2001 during his Madison Square Garden concert in New York City.  “They were both a mess, to be honest. They shared what would be their final hugs and Michael begged Whitney to get off the drugs that were destroying her life.  The two of them whispered that they loved each other as they hugged. The emotion was written all over their faces,” Fiddes contends.

Ironically, both Jackson and Houston died unexpectedly under drug-related circumstances.  Jackson passed away nearly three years ago from a cocktail of drugs including a lethal dose of the sedative propofol.  Although Houston was found drowned in a bathtub this February, a coroner’s report documented cocaine as well as other narcotics, which were found in her system that contributed to her death.

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Houston, who passed away unexpectedly at the age 48 due to accidental drowning which was a result of heart disease and chronic drug use, was laid to rest in jewelry that is reportedly worth $500,000.  The grave site of the pop princess has had armed security to protect it not only from obsessed fans, but also from potential thieves, who might want to get at those gems buried with Houston.

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A close friend of the family says that Cissy Houston, Whitney’s mother, cannot afford to continue to pay the private security guards who have been keeping a vigil at her daughter’s grave located in Westfield, New Jersey:

“Cissy can’t afford to keep paying guards forever. A concrete encasement is the only answer.”

The Houston family’s wishes are not as bizarre as some might think.  When pop icon Michael Jackson passed away nearly three years ago, his family also wanted to have his coffin entombed in concrete immediately after the funeral in order to keep crazed fans from digging it up.

Placing a coffin in concrete will deter anyone from gaining access to it, because it would take an exorbitant amount of time to get to it — even if using a pneumatic drill, according to a burial expert at Hollywood Forever who spoke to the Daily Star, the final resting place of Tinsel Town’s top celebs.

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Bobbi Kristina

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The particulars of the contract are still being negotiated. A source close to the project told the website that the deal is almost done, but it will probably result in lots of drama for the young woman.

“This show is being done against her family’s advice,” the source said but also implied, that the show could very well be fraught with problems that stem from Bobbi Kristina’s battles with booze and drugs.

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Bobbi Kristina’s parents dealt with drug demons throughout most of her upbringing. Whitney and Bobby spiraled into substance abuse addictions, suffered career stalls and endured marriage problems as a result. Whitney died earlier this year and an autopsy report concluded that the singer had traces of cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs in her system.

Reportedly, network bosses think that Bobbi Kristina’s show will be a surefire hit because the public is curious about her life. But the insider says viewers might be shocked as to what could very well appear on their screens, a young woman who is probably not in control of her life.

“Bobbi is scared the world will label her just like her mother,” one source close to the project told Radar Online, adding that she is “obviously very wild and misguided.”

Bobbi Kristina had a recent meeting with a network exec where she allegedly appeared to be under the influence of something. According to the source, “She was slurring her words and said: ‘I will show the world I am NOT my mother and will NOT walk in her shoes down her path,’ then seconds later would mutter, ‘My mother was just normal, completely normal, someone who did normal things. She just listened to all the wrong people–and did the wrong things.’”

The show is also expected to feature the folks who hung around Whitney, as well as Nick Gordon, whom Whitney considered to be a stepson and is now allegedly engaged to Bobbi Kristina.

Bobbi Kristina is geared up to have those cameras rolling in her face and she supposedly told the source, “Something good might as well come out of all this bad stuff.”

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The video was the start of the “Poor People’s Campaign,” in which Dr. King would go around the nation speaking on behalf of those who’d been forgotten in the depths of poverty.

I thought to myself, “Wow, Dr. King sounds a lot like Dr. Cornel West right now.  I wonder if they would be calling him a hater too?”

I thought about how Dr. King has been racially castrated and reduced to little more than a polite little McDonald’s commercial.  He is the cute, lovable image that makes everyone, from every background, snug and comfortable in a cesspool of hypocrisy.  The man who lived as a rock was transformed into a pillow, loved by millions of people who would hate him if he were alive today.

Dr. King might have been better off if historians had simply given him a sex change.  Marketing has an amazing power to turn the true into the false and the false into a fantasy.   As a business school professor, I observe this phenomenon regularly.

The postmortem transformation of Dr. King came from tools no less powerful than those used to turn Tiger Woods into a saint, Britney Spears into a virgin and Whitney Houston into the girl next door.  If you tell enough lies with intelligent marketing, you can make anything appear to be anything else, for reality is in the eyes of the beholder.

I’ll admit that I was inspired by Dr. King’s speech.  He even sounded a little like Malcolm X, and made it clear that his goal was not to become a pet to the establishment.  He directly challenged the power of the White House and held our government accountable to the values it claims to promote.  He wasn’t willing to throw poor people under the bus for a more comfortable agenda and spoke truth to power no matter what the cost.

Dr. King was not rewarded for his words, he was punished for them.  He became highly unpopular for his insistence upon doing God’s work and listening to his conscience in a world that encourages all of us to look the other way.  One then has to ask if it’s simply a matter of coincidence that shortly after this speech and the start of the “Poor people’s movement,” Dr. King was assassinated.  Perhaps there is a price to telling the truth.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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TMZ quotes sources close to Bobbi Kristina saying the 19-year-old aspiring singer and actress feels she knew Whitney Houston better than anyone. Moreover, she believes that if Easy E’s son, Eric Wright Jr., can portray his father in a movie about the rap group, NWA, she can do the same for her mom.

Although there has been increased talk about a Whitney Houston movie, no one is officially trying to helm such a project. In February, reports surfaced that Houston’s longtime mentor, Clive Davis, was planning to produce a biopic featuring stars like Rihanna, Jennifer Hudson, and Vivica A. Fox. However, a rep for the record executive squashed those rumors via statement saying, ”There is no truth to this. Clive is not putting together a biopic.”

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RELATED: Family, Friends, Fans Gather For Whitney’s Funeral

With nearly 200 police officers in attendance at the New Hope Baptist Church, the Whigham funeral home, and at the Newark Club reception hall, police overtime reportedly cost the city of Newark nearly $187, 000 for the day, comprising  5 percent of the $4 million budget for the year.

Now Newark taxpayers are finding out that they are the ones eating the bill and many are reportedly not happy about it. One resident complained to CBS New York that they shouldn’t be responsible for the bill, especially since the fans were denied a public memorial and weren’t allowed anywhere near the funeral.

“I think it was a waste of time and then now we find out what happened and how she actually died, it makes you think twice saying was it worth it or not,” said Minerva DelValle.

Another Newark resident added:

“I think it’s absolutely ridiculous when you have people who are unemployed and homeless, people walking up and down the streets,” said Quincy Ruffin. If they [the Houston family] wanted it to go that far, do that much, they should have been the ones [paying] for it.”

Still, there are some who think the costs were necessary. Democratic Councilwoman Mildred Crump defended the costs, saying, “I was able to be witness to the thousands upon thousands of people who were desperate to attend service but held back by barriers and officers of the law. If they had not been there someone may have been trampled [or] seriously hurt.”

Houston’s death-related costs didn’t stop there, though. The following day, Houston was finally laid to rest in Westfield, N.J., at Fairview Cemetery. In order to monitor Houston’s remains being buried, another $9,000 was accrued in police overtime.

On February 18, Houston’s funeral was held at New Hope Baptist Church, with fellow stars, such as Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Clive Davis, and Kevin Costner, in attendance. Houston actually died a week earlier on February 11 from a lethal combination of drowning, heart disease and cocaine use during Grammy Awards weekend at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel at the age of 48.

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The sale of 13 items brought in a total of $80,187 from bidders in the gallery, on the phone and online, according to celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien.

A grey velvet gown the singer wore to music mogul Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party in 1996 went for $11,250.

Pearl drop earrings worn by Houston in “The Bodyguard” sold for $2,812, while a vest she sported in the film commanded $3,437.

Other items included a plum velvet dress, which brought $7,500, and a black and gold pants outfit that fetched $2,125.

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Interest in collectibles related to Houston has skyrocketed since her death Feb. 11, Julien said. Most of the items sold Saturday as part of the Hollywood Legends series were provided by the Grammy winner’s friends and family in the weeks since she died, he said.

“What we have now is all we’re going to have from Whitney Houston,” he said. “That makes her memorabilia sought after by high end collectors and fans.”

More items, including some 30 dresses worn by Houston, will be auctioned off in June as part of Julien’s Music Icons series.

Houston drowned in a bathtub at a Beverly Hills hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards.

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Houston talked to My9 on Thursday night for an interview set to air Monday. The interview took place at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., where Whitney first wowed a congregation as a girl and where her funeral was held Feb. 18.

Cissy Houston says her daughter “accomplished a whole lot in the short time that she had here” and “was a very wonderful person.” She says she doesn’t blame herself for what happened to her because she knows she did the best she could.

Whitney Houston’s death has been ruled an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.

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The Grio reports:

Last night on HLN’s Dr. Drew show, Bobby Brown’s sister, Leolah Brown, opened up about the newly released coroner’s report for Whitney Houston and said that she blames Ray J and Pat Houston for the singer’s death.

During the segment, Leolah claimed that Ray J was Whitney’s “runner boy” for cocaine.

“When I first heard she passed away I said ‘my God, somebody gave her a bad bag.’ I promise you that was the first thing that came out of my mouth. And then I saw Ray-J and it all added up. So I am going to believe that Ray J was, like she said, was a ‘runner boy.’”

Brown also claims that her suspicions intensified when she saw photos of Ray J snapped outside of the Beverly Hilton hotel on the night that Whitney died. The “Sexy, Can I?” singer allegedly had his head down, shying away from the paparazzi, which Brown claims is unusual for him.

Brown goes on say that she finds it unbelievable that Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and manager, did not know that Whitney was still doing cocaine, as she claimed in her interview with Oprah Winfrey. Though Pat did say drugs were no longer an issue for Whitney, she also suggested that Ray J was to blame for her downward spiral, saying that the superstar was “looking for love in all the wrong places.”:

The dream she [Whitney] was chasing was younger” said Pat on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” “In my opinion a young man that’s thriving and loved to be out and about. And you’re dealing with an older woman who’s at home and just looking for the love and comfort.”

As previously reported by Newsone, another man may lie at the center of this tragedy. Raffles van Exel, who Whigham Funeral Home sources claim snapped the picture of Whitney in her casket and sold it to the National Enquirer, has also been accused by various sources of supplying her with drugs. The Hollywood con-man also latched on to Michael Jackson, Chaka Khan, and the late Ray Charles, who all at one point also abused drugs.

Forbes Magazine writer, Roger Friedman, reports that Van Exel, in addition to selling the picture of Whitney’s bathtub, also stands accused of selling fake pictures to TMZ. The image of “Whitney” on the gurney with a white sheet pulled over her is, in fact, Bobbi Kristina:

A person who was in the hallway (see picture) tells me the “body” under the white sheet was Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s daughter. She was taken to Cedars Sinai Hospital twice after her mother died. Bobbi Kristina wrapped the sheet over her head so as not to be seen. Unfortunately, when Whitney’s body was removed from the hotel much later, it was not under a sheet, but in an official coroner’s body bag.”

Though Pat Houston now claims that she was first person to find Whitney, reports have shifted wildly from Ray J, to Pat’s brother Ray, Whitney’s security guard, to the hairstylist, and reports continue to circulate that it might actually have been Van Exel.

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Friedman claims that attendees at Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party — which took place while Whitney’s body was still in the hotel — claims that Van Exel showed  up with Whitney’s tickets to the event in hand:

Despite the shock of Whitney’s death, Raffles still made it downstairs to Clive Davis’s party. He was dressed in formal wear, had Whitney’s tickets in his hand, and intended  to sit at her table. Just inside the ballroom he was comforted by celebrities to whom he related his story—“I found Whitney.”  Gayle King hugged him. Quincy Jones listened patiently to his story. A security guard told me later, “Well, he was up there.”

Though the details surrounding Ray J, Raffles van Exel, and Whitney’s drug abuse are murky at best, it is clear from the 2009 video below that the two are indeed friends:

Whether it was “love” as Pat Houston suggests or “running cocaine” as Leolah Brown accuses, one thing is certain, members of Whitney Houston’s family are not fond of Ray J, who tells TMZ that the accusations are “absolutely B.S.” and that he had “no knowledge” that Whitney was still using cocaine. He also released the following statement through his attorney to E! News:

Though Leolah Brown was nowhere near the Beverly Hilton hotel on the day Whitney Houston died, [HLN's parent company] CNN proceeded to broadcast an interview with Ms. Brown in which she falsely claimed that Ray J was at the hotel and contributed to Whitney Houston’s death.

“Even the most minimal inquiry with anyone actually in contact with Whitney would reveal that Leolah Brown had been out of contact with Whitney for more than a year and was nowhere near the scene on the day of her death.”

The musician’s lawyer has urged media outlets “not to republish these defamatory stories” and warned of legal action should they proceed to do so without verifying the truth.

Though it saddens the world to say good-bye to such an icon, and innuendo and accusations are bound to fly for some time in the midst of heavy grief, ultimately, Whitney Houston was a grown woman who made her own decisions. Ray J, Pat Houston and Raffles van Exel, can — and should be — held accountable if it is ever determined that they enabled her habit, but no one can be blamed for her choices.

May she rest in peace.

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Whitney Houston

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USA Today has more:

The Los Angeles County coroner‘s office has determined that Whitney Houston’s official cause of death is: “drowning and effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.”

Various prescription drugs found in her room at the time of her death. But the toxicology report states that “Marijuana, Alprazolam (Xanax), Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) and Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) were identified but did not contribute to the death.”

Right now, there is debate over why the Houston’s death was ruled accidental and not a drug overdose. As more information about Houston’s death unfolds, NewsOne will keep you informed. Please go to our partner, BlackDoctor.org, for information on the devastating affects of cocaine.

Houston died in her Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel room on Feb. 11, just one day before the Grammy Awards. She was 48.

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When Carolyn Whigham, owner of Whigham, held a press conference concerning the accusations that someone on her staff may have been responsible for leaking the disrespectful picture of Whitney Houston to the National Enquirer, her anger and frustration were palpable. Though she declined to name names at the time, she hinted that the Houston family knew exactly who took the picture and though they had halted the investigation, she would not stop until she and her business were publicly exonerated.

The secret is out.

Though on the surface van Exel, who is also a good friend of Whitney’s on-again/off-again companion, R&B singer Ray J,  is the legitimate CEO of Raffles Entertainment, LLC, an entertainment “consultant” firm, he has been known on the Hollywood circuit for years as a shadowy con man who seems to always be on the edges of an entertainer’s personal tragedies while they’re being played out for public consumption.

See video below for how he navigates Hollywood and avoids suspicion, including lying about being the son of guitarist and vocalist George Benson, stealing $25,000 from the musician then disappearing.

According to Forbes, Whigham Funeral Home employees saw van Exel snap the pictures and immediately informed the Houston family, who still have not acted upon the information:

Van Exel, who has aliases of Raffles Benson and Raffles Dawson, was at the two private viewings of Whitney’s casket held at the Whigham Funeral Home. The first viewing was on the Friday night before the memorial service. The second one was on Sunday morning before the burial.

The people at Whigham noticed van Exel right away. Even though he’s not a member of the Houston family, he traveled with them on the private plane from Los Angeles to New Jersey. He was the only non family member who accompanied Whitney’s sister in law/manager and newly appointed executor Pat Houston in her car to Whitney’s memorial and funeral and to the viewings.

“They didn’t do anything ab0ut it,” says a source. “They’re protecting him. How come they haven’t gotten him out of their circle?”

Van Exel has not responded to any inquires, but Carolyn Whigham will not rest until the Houston family publicly states that Whigham Funeral Home is in no way responsible for the unprofessional and unconscionable actions of the person who betrayed their trust.

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From the time Bobbi Kristina’s parents divorced back in 2007, Bobbi Kristina is said to have always wanted to change her name because of the negative relationship she has with her father.

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According to TMZ:

Bobbi Kristina Brown can’t stand her name … because of its association with her father Bobby Brown.

Mother Whitney, though, always allegedly advised her against it. With her mother’s death, friends close to Bobbi Kristina reportedly say that she has decided to change her name to “Kristina Houston.”

Many thought Whitney’s passing would encourage Bobbi Kristina to rebuild her relationship with her dad. At the time of Whitney’s death, Darlene Love, Whitney’s godmother, told Access Hollywood that the Houston family, who have often shown public disdain for Bobby, would not get in the way of Bobby’s relationship with his daughter.

That’s really going to have to be her choice whether she wants him in her life… and I don’t think nobody is going to give her any information or try to move her one way or the other. That’s one decision she’s definitely going to have to make on her own, Love noted.

Close friend of Whitney’s Bebe Winans also added that Whitney would want her daughter to have a good relationship with her dad.

The thing that is real is that’s what Whitney would say, BeBe said, when asked if Bobby should be a part of his daughter’s life. Even when they decided to divorce… she told Bobbi Kristina, ‘He will always be your father. You will need your father,’ and no matter what happens, she will have her father because Whitney’s family understands that.

Obviously, a name change would be a major rejection of Bobby, further straining their precarious relationship. No family is perfect, and while most can attest to difficult relationships with their parents, Bobbi Kristina’s alleged decision to change her name may become one she regrets.

While she is of age to make the decision, Bobby Brown will always be her father. It would seem that part of Bobbi Kristina making peace with her mother’s death and moving forward with her life is attempting to improve her relationship with the one parent she has left. As she has just witnessed, life is both brutally unpredictable and short.

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Patricia Houston

In an exclusive interview that also included Whitney’s brother, Gary, and Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s only daughter with New Edition singer, Bobby Brown, Patricia made some interesting statements about the death of her client:

“The handwriting was kind of on the wall. I would be kidding myself to say otherwise,” Houston tells Oprah in an interview to air on OWN’s “Oprah’s Next Chapter” on March 11 at 9:00 p.m.

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When asked about the expectations that drugs would be her downfall, Patricia didn’t hold back:

“If things hadn’t changed. But things were changing, things were really changing with her — very much so. It wasn’t about substance abuse relative to the latter days. I was afraid for other things … [her] lifestyle. “I saw her chasing a dream — looking for love in all the wrong places.”

Ray J, Whitney’s on-again, off-again boyfriend since 2007, immediately comes to mind. The “Sexy Can I?” singer was rumored to be shopping around footage of he and Whitney for a reality show, reports the Daily Beast.

In her last days, Whitney was often seen in the company of Ray J in Los Angeles. Reports state that he immediately ran to Bobbi Kristina’s side after being called with the news of her mother’s death on February 11, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the night before the Grammy Awards.

Though quiet in the days following her death, Ray J can be seen breaking down into tears as Whitney’s casket stops in front of his pew at her funeral and the bittersweet notes of “I Will Always Love You” filled the church. He eventually released a statement concerning their somewhat mysterious relationship:

“Over the past few days, I’ve tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend. Nippy, I miss you so much! You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever.”

At a charity event for Brotherhood Crusade and Mothers in Action in Los Angeles, Ray J told reports that he’s still very much in mourning:

“I really miss my friend, you know. I really do. I’m still hurting. I’m able to look at life in a whole different way. I always look at my phone because I’ve got a picture of somebody that I really love and it helps me through the day.”

Whether it’s all for the cameras or not, we may never know. But all gossip and innuendo to the contrary, it seems that Whitney had at least one genuine friend around her at the end.

Whitney Houston

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Soon after Whitney Houston’s death on Feb. 11, TMZ broke the news that Houston took Gordon, 22, in more than 10 years ago after his mother could no longer take care of him.

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Gordon grew so close to the family that he and Bobbi Kristina, 19, are known to refer to each other as “brother” and “sister,” according to a New York Daily News report.

But further TMZ reports claim that Cissy Houston considers Gordon to be a bad influence on her granddaughter and wants him to leave her alone.

After that story, Gordon addressed the issue via Twitter:

“Wow you can’t believe anything the media says. First time I heard any of this,” he wrote. “God always prevails.”

When ABC News reached Gordon by phone, however, he only said:

“Everything that me and her went through will go to the grave with me.”

If Twitter messages are any indication, Gordon and Bobbi Kristina seem to share a tight bond. On Dec. 26, she posted on her Twitter account a photo of Gordon wedged between her and Houston in the backseat of a car along with this message:

“Mom, @ndgordon (: & I on the way to the airport friday ! (: #NYCBABYYYYY <3 home home home.”

Since Bobbi Kristina has been deemed the sole beneficiary in her mother’s will, it seems that Cissy may be merely trying to protect her granddaughter. Gordon, who was not legally adopted by Houston, was not named in her will either.

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Brett Johnson is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based writer and the founder of the music and culture blog VeryArtistical.com.

The pop superstar’s will doesn’t mention specific assets, but leaves all of her furnishings, clothing, personal effects, jewelry and cars to her surviving children. Bobbi Kristina was her only child.

Inside Edition first reported the will, filed in Atlanta, on Wednesday.

Houston’s money will be put in a trust. Bobbi Kristina will get part of it upon turning 21, more of the money at age 25 and the balance at age 30. Houston’s trustees can give her money from the trust for various purposes, including tuition, to buy a home and to start a business.

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The will was signed on Feb. 3, 1993, about a month before Houston gave birth to her daughter. The 48-year-old died Feb. 11 in California.

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Bobbi Kristina

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It’s been less than a month since Houston was found dead in her bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 11 and speculation has been running rampant that it was too soon for Winfrey, who has made no secret of OWN’s troubling ratings, to prey on a vulnerable Bobbi Kristina.

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But taking after her mother, Krissy seems to know her own mind and is defending the decision:

“[Oprah] was loyal to my mom, and never did my mother wrong, or made her look bad. She always looked out for my mom.”

Oprah conducted one of Whitney’s last interviews and it was one of the classiest moments of her later career. She was clearly sober, honest and ready to move forward with her life. The bond between she and Oprah — whom has long been considered a friend of the Houston family — was evident from start to finish.

The interview is set to air on OWN Sunday, March 11 at 9 p.m.

See below for a Sneak Peek:

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During the former power couple’s divorce proceedings in 2006, Brown alleged in a court document that the iconic pop songstress Houston, who unexpectedly died on February 11 last month while in a hotel bathtub, took his daughter and moved to Orange County California without his consent.

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Brown, who at the time was seeking spousal support, also claimed that he did everything in his power to see his daughter Bobbi Kris and was experiencing extreme financial difficulties at the time. Still, Brown stated that he somehow managed to get to California and even laid out $10,000 so that Houston and his daughter could stay at a nice hotel while she was being treated.

The Grammy Award-winning singer and actress, however, challenged Brown’s version of the facts by stating that she went to California to have oral surgery in 2006 and stayed afterward at a clinic.  Houston’s declaration papers never mentioned a drug-rehab facility or monies that Brown allegedly paid toward her treatment.

The controversial couple had a pre-nuptial agreement that specifically documented that in the event of a divorce, neither of them would try to obtain spousal support from each other.  In the declaration, Houston also tried to drive the point home that her ex did in fact try to get spousal support from her.

“Bobby is trying to get child or spousal support from me, something he has done for some time now, along with his request for spousal support…. Bobby is fully capable of working and earning substantial sums of money if he would control his personal behavior. It is his personal conduct that keeps him from earning substantial amounts of money.”

In the long run, the dueling couple finally divorced in 2007, and Houston was given sole custody of Bobbi Kris.  Brown never did get a penny from his ex-wife.

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“Oprah’s Next Chapter” will feature an interview with 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina, Houston’s only child. It will also include Patricia Houston, who’s the singer’s sister-in-law and manager, as well as the singer’s brother Gary. It is scheduled to air March 11.

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The superstar was found dead in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Feb. 11. An exact cause of death has yet to be determined.

Winfrey was one of the guests invited to Houston’s funeral in Newark, N.J., last month.

Houston was 48 years old. Her daughter turns 19 Sunday.

But Carolyn Whigham of Whigham Funeral Home and two pastors say they do know who took the photo that ran in the National Enquirer. They just aren’t identifying the person and say that’s up to the Houston family.

Whigham told The Star-Ledger of Newark ( http://bit.ly/yrlGLr ) Thursday her funeral home “had no role in this shameful betrayal.” She was responding to what she says are claims that either she or her employees were involved.

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The 48-year-old Houston died Feb. 11 in California. Whigham says she determined the photo was taken Feb. 17, a day before the funeral.

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The card line, which was available before the legendary songstress unexpectedly passed away earlier this month from a possible lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and alcohol, mocks Houston’s choices in men by pointing the finger at R&B singer Bobby Brown, whom Houston married back in 1992.

The union seemed to be turbulent from the start, with allegations of alcohol, drugs, and physical abuse. Houston and Brown’s train wreck of a marriage finally ended in 2007.

The card relays the following message:

“Next time you think of dating the bad boy, consider Whitney Houston.”

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The card, which was considered to be humorous by the retailer’s executives before Houston’s death, does not tickle anyone’s funnybone now.  The store is in the throes of pulling every single card off its shelves.  One of the retailer’s representatives told TMZ, “The card was in our stores prior to Ms. Houston’s death. As soon as this was brought to our attention, we began the process of removing the card from all applicable stores.”

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Blige, who is known for not holding her tongue when it comes to speaking her mind, reflected on the recent passing of Houston, who apparently had been a great influence in her life.  Blige admitted that she never attends funerals because she was traumatized by them as a child but felt compelled to go to Houston’s because they were so close:

“This was really sad (funeral) because Whitney was everything to women like us,” she lamented.

Blige even divulged a conversation that she had with Houston about how important she was to the world.  “I got a chance to express to [Whitney] what I felt about her and how I didn’t like seeing her like that.”  Blige was referring to Houston’s much publicized battles with drug addiction.

The 41-year-old singer, songwriter has in the past, discussed in detail her struggles with cocaine and alcohol.  Blige told her co-hosts, Barbara Walters, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar, how she almost died from her drug habit.  She discussed seeking out her drug supply from seedy places in the wee hours of the night.  Blige was frank about her enablers, the leeches she surrounded herself with who continuously robbed her of her paychecks by keeping her high and drunk.  The actress and fragrance entrepreneur who admitted, “I’ve never done crack,” said her self-destructive lifestyle was formed by the role models she had as a child.  “In my family, as a child, all we saw was people getting drunk.”

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Trying to keep a career on track while indulging in addictions that can derail it, Blige didn’t mince words when she stated, “I didn’t know what was going on in my business.  I didn’t know my business.  I didn’t know who was doing my business.  I didn’t know what kind of money I had or if I had money.  I was just a mess!”

Rehab was not an option for Blige, who instead says that she gave her life to God to help get her off drugs and liquor because she almost died.  She pleaded with God because “He is real in my life,” she said.  Blige begged God to get off the destructive path she was on, “I didn’t want to die,” she said.  She also changed her environment and released those who were negative influences in her life.  Blige also credits her husband of 8 years, Martin Kendu Issacs, who supported and challenged her to do the right thing.  He kept her focused on the important tasks at hand.

After five years of living sober, no drugs or liquor, Blige appears to have it all and is enjoying it.  The award-winning performer who once proclaimed “I Can Do Bad All by Myself” seems to have gotten “Stronger with Each Tear” because now she can finally say, that there is “No More Drama in My Life!”

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On February 11, after it became public that Whitney had died, the Beverly Hills Police Department and the Beverly Hilton Hotel were said to have taken every precaution possible to ensure that Houston’s body would be handled in the most professional and private way. True to this ethos, the Beverly Hilton swiftly fired staffers who gave interviews or comments about Houston’s sudden demise, which was strictly forbidden.

And still, surveillance video shows that someone took a picture of Houston in the body bag as she lay on the gurney. Days later, those pictures hit the Internet and now the Houston family is requesting that law enforcement work to identify that individual.

RadarOnline reports:

Whitney’s sister-in-law, Pat, spoke with cops that night when she died and with members of the coroner staff. They told her they were going to ensure that no one was going to take a picture of her body on the gurney. The family continues to be so grateful to the Beverly Hills Police Department for everything they have done and the professionalism they have exhibited during the aftermath of Whitney’s death. It was naturally heartbreaking to the family when the photo was published, but they trust that the person who took it will ultimately be held accountable. … They need and deserve to know who took the pictures, and if the person profited from it, according to RadarOnline’s source.

Somebody’s days are numbered ….

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RELATED: National Enquirer’s Whitney Houston Coffin Photo Angers Fans

News of Houston’s extravagant burial attire was publicized by the National Enquirer who also published a picture of the diva lying in her coffin.  The published photo drew wide criticism.

Reportedly, Houston’s burial attire was selected by daughter Bobbi Kristina along with famed cousin Dionne Warwick, who searched through the late-singer’s closet and selected a cherished purple dress for her to wear.  The women also decided upon a pair of glittery gold slippers and agreed on donning Houston with $500,000 worth of jewelry.  Houston also wore a diamond broach, a gold and ruby crucifix necklace, and a $200,000 pair of diamond earrings that she purchased for herself with the earnings she amassed from her role in “The Bodyguard.” Houston was placed in a gold-lined casket that was reportedly worth tens of thousands of dollars.

“There is a very genuine fear that her coffin will be targeted by grave robbers.  It would be hard for them to actually dig her casket up, but that won’t stop psychotic fans or people who think it could make them money.  The fact she was buried with such valuable jewelry is just an invitation to sickos.  It’s ironic that Whitney, who was most famous for ‘The Bodyguard’ movie when she was alive, has to have bodyguards even in death.”

Whitney Houston, 48, died earlier this month at the Beverly Hilton hotel in Los Angeles. She was found submerged in a bathtub. Autopsy results are pending, but there is speculation that her death could have been attributed to a lethal mix of prescription drugs and alcohol.

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Whitney Houston

The tasteless image shows Houston lying in a golden-colored casket donning a purple dress with a broach and sparkling earrings. The headline reads, “WHITNEY: THE LAST PHOTO!” On the cover are morbid subheads that describe how she was buried in jewelry worth $500,000, wore her favorite purple dress, and had gold slippers on her feet.
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(Editor’s Note: If you choose to see the photo, it can be seen here. NewsOne will not run the photo, because we feel it is unethical.)

An army of incensed fans took to social media platforms like Twitter, letting ‘er rip about their displeasure with the photo. According to FoxNews, though, the Enquirer’s publisher, Mary Beth Wright, calls the photo “beautiful.”

The Houston photo is not the first time that the Enquirer has published a photo of a dead celebrity in a coffin on its cover.  Back in 1977, when rock and roll singer Elvis Presley passed away, the Enquirer ran a photo of him in an open casket as well.

Now the question remains: Who sold Houston’s photo to the Enquirer? Carolyn Whigham, owner of Whigham Funeral Home where the singer’s body was prepared, denied that anyone on her staff took the photo.

“I’m going to answer you as the publicist told me to answer you: We have no comment, she said to the L.A. Times. “But it was not the funeral home.” Visibly irritated, she also said, “You guys are getting me in the middle,” adding that the publicity is making her business look bad.

Houston’s funeral took place this past Saturday and was attended by an impressive roster of who’s who in entertainment, business, and politics. The 48-year-old diva was laid to rest at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey, on Sunday in a burial service attended by close family and friends. She was buried beside her father, John Russell Houston Jr.

Houston’s official cause of death has yet to be determined.

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Apparently four years ago, Brown tried to shop around a book about his 15-year marriage to the legendary songstress, but there were no takers.  At the time, Houston’s career was in limbo and interest in her had diminished.

Since the mega-performer passed away, though, there is a renewed fascination regarding all things Houston and a tell-all is sure to add fuel to the fire.  A major publisher reportedly told the Huffington Post:

“…Following her tragic death, the market has changed. Now is the time for a book that details an honest look into the life of Whitney.”

But not so fast, Bobby!

Brown signed a confidentiality clause, when he divorced Houston back in 2007, that could hamper any book dreams he may allegedly have.  There is also the matter of the couple’s only child, Bobbi Kristina, and how a book such as this could affect her emotional state.

Famed Atlanta attorney to the stars, “Atlanta Housewives” reality star, and Brown’s former legal counsel Phaedra Parks told the Huffington Post, “Bobby loves all his children.  He would do anything to protect all his children.”

There are those in Houston’s camp, though, who are not so sure that Brown would totally turn away an opportunity to cash in on the death of his former love.

“This is a man who left his ex-wife’s funeral because he didn’t like his seats and went to a paying gig that night,” a friend of Houston tells the Huffington Post. “He didn’t get on stage that night because he needed to sing his greatest hits or because Whitney would have wanted him to entertain his fans, he did it to get a paycheck — the same reason he now wants to write a tell-all book.”

Brown, who seems to be hustling to make a dollar these days, isn’t as financially stable as he once was and the prospect of a tell-all could mean mega bucks.  Will he trade in his nuptial secrets for a dollar?  Will he take into consideration the impact that the book could have on his daughter, who is reportedly in a frail state after her mother’s death?

Stay tuned….

Janet Hubert

RELATED: Remembering The Positives Of Whitney’s Life

In 2003, Williams and Houston had an intense argument over Whitney’s drug abuse, finances and Williams’ incessant need to insult the legend at every turn.

But when Houston died on February 11, 2012, in the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Williams was the first to cry huge crocodile tears on her show and talk about how much she loved her.

Hubert isn’t buying it though. In an open letter to Wendy Williams, she calls her out for tearing down her sisters when she should be building them up, urging her to “do better.”

Dear Wendy,

This past weekend was a very difficult time for so many of us.

Though I never knew Whitney Houston, I felt a profound sense of loss and sadness. On Sunday morning I took my dog for a walk in the park across the street and still could not shake the sadness I felt. I wondered if what I was feeling was perhaps related to losing my mother and brother this past year, but then I thought no, it was something else.

I watched the funeral service with the rest of the world, and cried time and time again with each story that was told. I felt like I knew more about this amazing woman than ever before. We all watched her as a little girl, center stage, singing like a bird, she was destined for superstardom. To watch her center stage full circle in death was a feeling no mother should ever have to feel. I applaud Ms. Warwick, the pastor, and all others who formed a police line of love and protection around her that was impenetrable only to those who really knew her. We, the public accepted their decision to keep it private, but they allowed us to witness her Home Going ceremony, I don’t know if I could have been so gracious. WE felt like we knew her and we knew nothing about her except what we read and hear from people like you and other media outlets. I listened to her interview with you and was compelled to say out loud. “Go on Whitney tell her like it is,” when you pried into her life back then. I had my son in the same year as Ms. Houston; we did Ebony Magazine that same year, she introducing her baby girl and me my son. I am trying to be dignified, but here goes.

Read more of Hubert’s letter at Eurweb.com

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At the Regent Beverly Wilshire’s bar, Houston is seen singing and dancing to Madonna’s “Vogue,” while she sits with close family and friends. According to TMZ, Houston “raved” about the performance and even reminisced about when they both dominated the charts afterward.

As for Madonna’s performance, the jury is still out as to whether she reminded the public why she used to be queen. On MTV, some commenters weren’t too happy about the show:

MotelGeorge said:

She looked ridiculous, stumble

d [sic] around and did not even attempt to sing until the end of the show. I loved her 28 years ago, but now she is a SNL parody of herself.

At least it made Whitney happy.

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