Whitney Houston's troubled love life apparent on new CD "I Look to You." Plus, Bobby Brown scoop.
By Kristine Gasbarre — Written on Sep 01, 2009
Whitney Houston's sixth studio album I Look to You is on sale today, released to a mix of reviews calling it everything from disappointing to Barry Manilow's comment that it's the "biggest hit she's had."
No matter what the creative result, the album demonstrates that Whit is finally coping positively with her troubled romantic past. Her marriage to Bobby Brown in 1992 staged her tragic flaw, fetching her to the depths of drug abuse and a long-time fall off the fame radar altogether. In their 2005 reality show Being Bobby Brown (which MSNBC called "disgusting"), they paraded their dysfunctional relationship in front of the nation (remember when Bobby told Whitney to “bring that ass in quick. I’m going to show you what I’m going to do with it"?). Around this time Whitney entered rehab and publicly admitted to her drug use but claimed that crack was a drug she'd never do because it was too cheap.
Yes, this was the same Whitney Houston every little girl wanted to be in 1985.
After a roller-coaster relationship in which she repeatedly accused Bobby of domestic violence and infidelity, they finally divorced in April 2007 when reportedly asked the court to "fast track" their proceedings so she could get the heck out of the mess. Bobby had a heart attack six months later.
Shortly thereafter, music legend Clive Davis approached Whitney to do a new album, and after some prodding, she accepted. Today she's doing the publicity circuit with her 16-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina, her only child with Bobby Brown (he has four other children, including a three-month-old baby with girlfriend Alicia Etheridge).
Whitney's publicist Nancy Seltzer was not available to comment at press time, but latest reports of Whit's love life link her with rapper Ray J, who's approximately 20 years her junior. We're relieved she's finally dumped Bobby in the past, leaving us with these lyrics on the new album:
I didn't know my own strength
And I crashed down and I tumbled
But I did not crumble.
and
I could hold on to pain but that ain't what my life's about
I ain't blamin' nobody if I ain't got my stuff worked out
I just wanna sing my song; ain't got nothin' but love.
We got love for you too, Whit. YourTango's Celebrity Love will keep you posted on her personal life as she stages this comeback.
Photo via Bauer-Griffin.