The Hollywood Gossip

Family of Whitney Houston Releases Statement on "Unimaginable Tragedy"

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:14:07 EST

About 24 hours after the death of Whitney Houston, the family of this once-in-a-generation singer has released the following statement:

"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Whitney. This is an unimaginable tragedy and we will miss her terribly. We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from her fans and friends."

Whitney Houston Isolated Vocals: "How Will I Know"

Bobby Brown, Whitney's husband of 15 years and the father of her daughter, has also spoken out for the first time, telling the public:

“I am deeply saddened at the passing of my ex-wife, Whitney Houston. At this time, we ask for privacy, especially for my daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time.”

It is believe that Houston died in her hotel room bathtub following an overdose of prescription pills.

Child Bobbi Kristina, meanwhile, has twice visited the hospital since her mother died, being taken off on a stretcher earlier today due to overwhelming anxiety and stress, sources confirm.

Bobbi Kristina Brown, Daughter of Whitney Houston, Rushed to Hospital

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:01:17 EST

Bobbi Kristina Brown, the 18-year old daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, has been rushed to the hospital.

TMZ broke the news, reporting that a stretcher carried Bobbi out of the Beverly Hills Hilton today, the same hotel where her mother passed away yesterday afternoon.

Insiders say authorities responded to a call there for a medical emergency around 10:30 a.m. local time and that Bobbi was "awake an alert at the time." She is reportedly under care for anxiety.

Tragically, Bobbi was in the lobby of the hotel when an ambulance arrived yesterday, screaming "What's wrong with her? What's wrong with her?" in regard to her mother, according to People. She was later taken to Cedars Sinai Medical Center "because she was having a complete breakdown," says that magazine's source.

This hospital visit, however, appears to have stemmed from a separate incident.

New reports indicate that Houston was prone to taking Xanax prior to shows or major public appearance. She may have overdosed on that drug yesterday and fallen asleep in the bathtub, drowning.

The photo above, meanwhile, was snapped just a couple days ago, following a night out in Hollywood.

[Photo: Pacific Coast News]

Demi Lovato as a Blonde: Love It or Hate It?

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:44:37 EST

Say hello to Demi Blondevato.

Not long after Demi Lovato took to Twitter and revealed her new hair color to followers, the above nickname started to trend on the social networking site.

“Thank you SO much Nine Zero One salon for my new locks!! How do you guys like the new look??” the 19-year-old artist wrote yesterday, along with the following photo:

This is far from the first hair color change for Demi. She went red on us in November.

Sound off below: What do you think of Lovato as a blonde? Is it a good change?

Whitney Houston: A Music Video Tribute

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:29:37 EST

Her greatest single performance likely took place on a football field, as Whitney Houston is responsible for the most impressive, moving national anthem rendition in Super Bowl history.

But the iconic singer also sold over 200 million albums worldwide and collected six Grammy Awards. She's one of the most successful female solo artists of all-time, paving the way for stars of today such as Mariah Carey and Rihanna.

Now, in the wake of her tragic passing, we present a video tribute to Whitney and ask readers for their fondest memories of the legend...

Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You (Official Video)

Whitney Houston - It's Not Right but It's Okay (Official Video)

Whitney Houston - I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Official Video)

Whitney Houston - How Will I Know (Official Video)

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE WHITNEY HOUSTON SONG?

Clive Davis Mourns Whitney Houston at Pre-Grammy Awards Party

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 10:21:28 EST

Clive Davis discovered Whitney Houston at a NYC nightclub when the singer was 20 years old.

It was therefore eerie and appropriate that the artist passed away, possibly from an overdose on prescription drugs, just a few hours prior to the music producer's annual pre-Grammy Awards party at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel.

Alicia Keys Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston

The somber event did proceed as scheduled - with attendees including Britney Spears, Miranda Lambert, Brandy, Tom Hanks, P Diddy, Kim Kardashian and Mary J. Blige - and Davis opened the shindig with remarks abut Houston.

"So, by now sadly, we have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney's passing. I don't have to mask my emotions. Not in front of this room full of so many dear friends," Davis said. "I do have a very heavy heart and I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years. Whitney was so full of life.

"She was so looking forward to tonight... She loved music and she loved this night that celebrates music."

A moment of silence followed, with Diana Krall, Tony Bennett and Alicia Keys later performing.

On tonight's Grammys telecast, meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson will perform a tribute to Whitney.

Whitney Houston Death May Have Been Caused By Prescription Drug Overdose, Drowning

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:00:09 EST

Prescription drugs were present at the scene of Whitney Houston's tragic death, and it's possible the star drowned in the bathtub, according to reports.

No illegal drugs have been found in the hotel room where a member of the legendary singer's entourage found Whitney Houston dead on Saturday.

When EMTs arrived, Whitney's body was already removed from the bathtub.

It will take an autopsy to determine if she overdosed, drowned or died from some other cause. The medical examination is scheduled to take place imminently.

Beverly Hills police officers found various pill bottles in Houston's room at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel, where she died yesterday at the age of 48.

There was no evidence that Whitney was drinking alcohol in the room.

Houston's body was removed from the room on a gurney and sent to the morgue for an autopsy to determine the official medical cause of death.

Paramedics performed CPR on the singer when alerted to her unresponsiveness but it did not work. She was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m.

Our sources say there were no obvious signs of foul play, but a full investigation is ongoing. Whitney's body was ID'ed by family and friends.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Celebrities React to the Death of Whitney Houston

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:51:20 EST

Within minutes of news spreading that Whitney Houston had passed away, the Twitterverse was filled with condolences from a wide variety of celebrities. Read on for a collection of their messages...

Whitney Houston: Her Final Performance

Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey): “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Katy Perry (@KatyPerry): “So devastating. We will always love you Whitney, R.I.P.”

Justin Bieber (@JustinBieber): “just heard the news. so crazy. One of the GREATEST VOICES EVER just passed. RIP Whitney Houston. My prayers go out to her friends and family.”

Christina Aguilera (@TheRealXTina): “We have lost another legend. Love and prayers to Whitney’s family. She will be missed.”

Nicki Minaj (@NickiMinaj): “Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time.”

Lea Michele (@MsLeaMichele): “I’m speechless. Such sad news about Whitney Houston.”‘

Serena Williams (@serenawilliams): “Wow just wow. This has ruined my whole day. #Iwillalwaysloveyou. #OneMomentInTime has propelled me to many of my grand slams victories.”

LeAnn Rimes (@leannrimes): “Whitney Houston was the first cd I ever bought. She had a God given gift. Hopefully, she’s singing with angels now.”

Chloe Moretz (@ChloeGMoretz): “Omg.. whitney houston died..we’ve lost another amazing singer.”

Rihanna (@Rihanna): “No words! Just tears #DearWhitney”

Matthew Morrison (@Matt_Morrison): “I’m very sad to hear about the passing of Whitney Houston, may she rest in peace.”

Whitney Houston Dead at 48

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 21:22:48 EST

Whitney Houston, one of the most successful female artists of all-time, died at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel today. She was 48.

The singer's rep confirmed the news this evening to The Associate Press, with insiders saying a member of Houston's entourage discovered her body late in the afternoon; a hotel employee called 911; and paramedics arrived to find Whitney unresponsive.

She was pronounced dead at 3:55 local time.

Beverly Hill Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there was "no obvious signs of criminal intent," though no cause of death has been determined and detectives have already started a full investigation.

Houston leaves behind a daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

The two-time Emmy and six-time Grammy Award winner sold over 200 million albums worldwide. She had battled alcohol and drug addiction - last seeking treatment in early 2011 - for many years prior to her death and was spotted out twice in Los Angeles over the last week, first with occasional boyfriend Ray J and then with a pal on Thursday night.

Whitney was staying at the hotel in anticipation of Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy party, which was scheduled to take place there last that night.

Our thoughts go out to her loved ones and, in her honor, we present the greatest national anthem performance in professional sports history:

Whitney Houston National Anthem: The Best Ever

Jeremy Lin Stars on YouTube, NBA Hardwood

matt@iscribelimited.com (Hilton Hater) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:18:51 EST

The Lin Dynasty is taking over the NBA. He just Lins, baby. His every move is simply unbeLINable.

Seriously, Jeremy Lin is awesome.

After just three starts, the Harvard graduate - yes, Harvard - is the talk of professional basketball, dropping 38 points on the Los Angeles Lakers last night, outdueling Kobe Bryant and piling up the most points in his first trio of career starts than anyone NBA player in 40 years.

Stars from Dwayne Johnson to Spike Lee are singing Lin's praises on Twitter, while the only thing more proficient than his buckets are the pun-based headlines sweeping newspapers around the country.

Before Lin made it big in the NBA, though, he starred in a YouTube video alongside viral sensation Ryan Higa (aka "nigahiga"). Watch “How to Get into Harvard” now and join the Linsanity...

Jeremy Lin Music Video - How To Get into Harvard

Tournament of THG Couples Edition: Barack & Michelle Obama vs. Tom Cruise & Katie Holmes!

steve@thehollywoodgossip.com (Free Britney) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 13:40:32 EST

Welcome back to the first annual Tournament of THG: Couples Edition, where fans vote on the most popular celebrity couple in the entire universe!

The concept is simple: Pick your favorite of the two pairs in each poll. Done. YOUR VOTES will determine the winners of this tournament showdown.

So far in round one, Robsten is cruising, while Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel and Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds both hold narrow advantages.

Today's battle: The President and the First Lady of the United States against TomKat! An unconventional matchup, we know. But a good one!

Cast your VOTE BELOW for your favorite couple of the two: