Whitney Houston died in a bathtub overflowing with water and a bunch of medications were found in her room.
The larger than life people we see on the silver screen are just human, at the end of the day. They hurt, they feel pain, they feel joy, and they fall in love, just like the rest of us. They also fight their inner demons and sometimes, they succumb to them. Legendary singer Whitney Houston battled her demons for most of her adult life and eventually lost her battle to it.
Whitney, who was recently inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame, battled drug addiction, and many of her relationships were affected because of it. She died on February 11, 2012, and was found face down in a water-filled bathtub with drug paraphernalia near her. The coroner's report had confirmed that she died of accidental drowning along with other details about what was found in her body and her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton.
Whitney was found in a tub that was full of water and some had overflowed. However, there was no running water. The water had also flowed into the bedroom and soaked the carpet. In the bathtub, a towel, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, and a pitcher were found, as per Business Insider.
Her family had believed that she was clean at the time but her sister-in-law and manager Pat Houston was concerned about her behavior at a party two nights before her death, as per ABC News. And yet, she was surprised when she learned about the details of the toxicology report. "We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure," she said in a statement. Pat ascribed Whitney's downfall to a lifestyle change where she saw her "chasing a dream ... looking for comfort, love ... and it was younger." She said that Whitney was chasing someone "that would ultimately hurt her."
Houston was reportedly dating musician Ray J, who was around 18 years younger than her. He said that he tried to go to the Beverly Hilton after learning of her death but was turned away, as per ABC News. "We've always kept our relationship as private as we could, but when we go out, she's such an icon, it reaches the masses," Ray J said. "But, for the most part, we've always been friends and we've kept everything hush-hush and just quiet and we really don't focus on that."
The Bodyguard actress was only 48 at the time of her death. The report said that a "small spoon with a white crystal like substance in it and a rolled-up piece of white paper" were found in the bathroom where she died. "Some people use a spoon for cocaine administration," a law enforcement official involved in her case said. "These days it's likely around for meth, which was not found at the scene, according to the investigator, so likely used as inhalation tool."
Traces of cocaine and marijuana and prescription medications were in her system. Forensic toxicologist Bruce Goldberger said she was "acutely intoxicated from cocaine" when she died and was a "repeated cocaine user." A "plethora of prescription medication bottles" were found in the room, according to the final report. There were as many as 12 different medications, including anti-anxiety medication Xanax and muscle relaxer Flexeril. She had prescriptions from five different doctors. Xanax and the level of prescription drugs in her system did not cause her death, said Goldberger.
Multiple bottles of alcohol were also found in the room. There was an open bottle of champagne on the mini-bar and an open can of beer was on a table. There was a bottle of beer on a nightstand and several loose tablets. Business Insider also reported that there was external trauma on her body but no foul play was indicated. There were abrasions on the left side of her forehead, left side of her nose, her right shoulder, her left hand, and her left arm.
In her room, her wallet was found. Her "California driver's license had been removed from the wallet, which was inside the purse, prior to my arrival," the coroner wrote, as reported by ABC News. "Also prior to my arrival, the majority of the decedent's prescription medication bottles had been removed from a brown bag that was on top of the table in the southeast corner of the living room, and then placed on top of that same table," the report reads.
More details reveal that she had undergone breast-augmentation surgery at some point. The coroner's report described "small scars" on her breasts "associated with breast implants." "The outlines of bilateral breast prosthesis are visible," the report added. It was also revealed that she was wearing a brown wig that was tightly affixed to her head when she died.
The star also wore dentures, which is common for a long-term drug abuser. The chemicals in narcotics can wear down the tooth's pulpy tissue over a long period of time.
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