FINAL DAYS OF PARTYING WHITNEY HOUSTON

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The cover story of the new issue of Us Weekly is dedicated to Whitney Houston’s sad, final days. The article details how decades of risk-taking caught up with the pop star with her addiction and out-of-control partying.
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Whitney Houston



The cover story of the new issue of Us Weekly is dedicated to Whitney Houston’s sad, final days. The article details how decades of risk-taking caught up with the pop star with her addiction and out-of-control partying.



In describing her sad, final days, sources recount a manic round of hard par­tying — with [daughter] Bobbi Kris­tina in tow. The superstar who could thrill audiences with the slightest breath of her mezzo-soprano voice had become a rasping diva in decline. “Whitney was very lonely, and self-medicating at the end,” says a friend of the headstrong entertainer. “She felt she was losing con­trol. Her career, her love life and her daughter. She was numbing herself to it all.” A deadly mix of alcohol and prescription drugs including Valium, Xanax and lorazepam were found at the scene (a toxicology report will not be available for several weeks).


US Weekly Whitney Houston Cover



Houston’s only child, Bobbi Kristina, 18, simply could not bear the loss of her beloved mother on February 11. “She had a nervous breakdown,” in-law Billy Watson tells Us. At about 11 p.m., the teen was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released, only to be rushed there again the following morning. A fam­ily source confirms she was suffering from “stress and anxiety.” Worse, a second source says the family wor­ried she would harm herself: “She is being crazy-town, screaming and breaking down. They’re being cautious.” To that end, a hospital source tells Us the teen under­went a psychiatric evaluation, but was not held. Says Watson, “She’s OK now. Her mama died, so she broke.”



On the last day of her life, Houston sat by the hotel’s pool. “She was with a group in a cabana and looked ter­rible, as if she was hungover,” says one eyewitness. “She was sad in her own world.” She returned to her room, where she ordered a ham­burger, fries, a turkey sand­wich and jalapeƱos. It was her last meal. “What ever happened to her, we just don’t know yet,” relative Watson tells Us. Worries an insider, “Whit­ney’s problem was that she mixed everything. The alco­hol would lower her inhibi­tions, then she’d think it was no big deal to take a sleep­ing pill or two and smoke some weed. It was too many things going on at once.”



Kim Kardashian



Also included in this week’s issue of Us is speculation that Kim Kardashian and ex-Reggie Bush are back on. Over brunch with friends on the patio of the Beverly Hills Hotel February 12, the reality star reconnected with a tall, handsome suitor: ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush. As Kardashian and a fe­male friend made their way to the table where the NFL pro was seated with a male pal, “Reggie stood up like a gentleman and kissed her hello,” says a witness. Throughout the leisurely meal, “Kim was making googly eyes at him,” adds the source. “They were catching up and laughing a lot. They definitely seemed fond of each other.” "Reggie and Kim have been talking since she split with Kris," another source explains of Kardashian's 72-day marriage to Kris Humphries. Miami Dolphins running back Bush, 26, is "comforting to her," the source says. "But they are trying to be private about it."




Chris Brown



CHRIS BROWN: HIS CRAZY COME-ON!



Most vile pickup line ever? CHRIS Brown — who pleaded guilty in 2009 to felony assault for hitting then-girlfriend Rihanna — confidently approached an attractive brunette Feb­ruary 10 at the Lasio Professional Hair Care suite Grammy gift lounge and asked her, “Can I get your number? I promise I won’t beat you!” the woman tells Hot Stuff. “He and his friends laughed, then one yelled, ‘That’s his new line!’ Ugh! I wanted to throw up!” (Says Brown’s rep, “I’d be surprised if Chris said something that stupid.”) Though the singer, 22, may randomly flirt with ladies, Rihanna, 24 (who got Solstice Sun­glasses at the suite the next day), is remarkably still in the picture. As Us has reported, several sources say the pair have hooked up over the past year — and two insiders reveal they are even recording a single!



Katy Perry



KATY PERRY: HER RAGE OVER RUSSELL



She savages her ex-husband in a scathing new revenge song



Pissed-off pop star! Katy Perry debuted “Part of Me” — a song clearly aimed at ex Russell Brand, 36 — on the February 12 Gram­mys. The singer, 27, wailed lyrics like “You chewed me up and spit me out / Like I was poison in your mouth.” She even replaced the song’s line “You can keep the dog from me” with “You can keep the diamond ring.” The diatribe — a single off Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection (out March 27) — is the first of many vitriolic tracks coming down the pipeline from Perry. “She’s writing songs now that chronicle their relationship,” a pal tells Hot Stuff. “She’s turning her rage into creativity.” One less thing to get worked up about: The star, who’s worth an estimated $70 illion, hammered out a divorce settle­ment February 7 that does not provide Brand with spousal support, despite the pair’s lack of a prenup. “She was worried,” admits the pal of Perry, who signed the papers with a smiley face. “But now she’s great!”



Chelsea Handler



CHELSEA’S NEW BFF



Chelsea Handler is the head of Hollywood’s new chick clique! “She’s the queen bee right now,” an insider says of the acerbic Chelsea Lately host, who, in the last few years, has befriended Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon (her co­star in This Means War). “These A-list women are terrified of her and kiss her ass because they want to stay on her good side.” The insider adds that the E! personality, 37, recently “targeted” actress Charlize Theron to be in the group — and then she attended Handler’s Super Bowl party February 5. Says the source, “They’ve become very close.”



Photos By: RD/Kenny/Kabik/Orchon/Sara De Boer/Retna

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