DETAILS RELEASED ON HOUSTON’S DEATH
By: Hope Wilkos, Writer/Blogger Photographer: George Whylie Videographer: Maxine NolanAlas, the preliminary Los Angeles Coroner’s Report is in on the cause of death of Whitney Houston.
Although this brings a great deal of closure to the mystery surrounding the death of this music legend, it is still with unrelenting sorrow to know that Whitney and her gifted voice are forever gone. We will remember her for the talented artist that she was.
Her demise was a combination of cocaine, heart disease and drowning. Although a mix of marijuana, the anti-anxiety drug of Xanax, a muscle-relaxant known as Flexeril and the allergy medication of Benadryl were also found in the singer’s blood, that did not contribute to her death.
It seemed to be an uphill battle for Houston in the final years of her life and that battle came to an end as she was defeated on February 11th when she was found unconscious and pronounced dead after being pulled from the bathtub in her hotel room at the Beverly Hilton just hours before she was to attend a Grammy party.
Speculation festered until the Coroner’s report was released in the last day. The report points to chronic cocaine use and that coupled with heart disease had worked against Whitney in the end. It isn’t known if she fell asleep in the bathtub or if she had a heart attack but what is clear is that there was water in her lungs which means that she was alive as she gasped for breath as she became submerged in the water.
Most of the evidence points to heart problems and hardening of the arteries but the fact that she fell asleep under the use of cocaine is perplexing to a Harvard doctor since this is more of a stimulant drug to wake you up. The final report is due out in 2 weeks which will put complete closure on the situation.
Rumors of drug use have recently surrounded Bobbi Kristina, Whitney’s cherished daughter. However, nothing can be confirmed and in the wake of all this turmoil and the loss of not only her mother but a best friend to her, Bobbi Kristina seems to be holding up as best as she can with the caring support of friends and family and the belief that her mother’s spirit is watching over her with much love.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF WireImage and A/P
