Los Angeles County coroner officials say they are not ready to release any information on the autopsy of singer Whitney Houston as various news outlets Monday reported that Houston appeared disheveled and erratic in the hours before her death and may have died from a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol.
Houston was found in the bathtub of her room Saturday afternoon in the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter declined to say anything more about the room's condition or any evidence investigators recovered.
NBC's Today show reported Monday that Houston was in the bathroom for awhile while members of her entourage hung out on the other side of the door and one of them finally went in and discovered her in the bathtub.
TMZ reported that Houston's body was discovered by her aunt, Mary Jones, who had laid out the star's dress for the evening on the bed and then left the hotel room for about a half hour. When she didn't come out of the bathroom, Jones entered, pulled Houston out of the tub and began administering CPR, TMZ reported.
The news outlet also reported that the family was told by coroner officials that Houston did not die from drowning but rather from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol. The outlet had earlier reported that Houston had some water in her lungs.
Houston, 48, battled drug and alcohol addictions that sparked years of sordid tabloid headlines beginning in the mid-1990s about her health, marital woes and finances. She had been to rehab three times.
But friends say she seemed to be good spirits on Thursday night, one of her last public moments before her Saturday death.
She got up on stage at a pre-Grammy event at TRU Hollywood, joining Kelly Price to sing a little, although it was hard to hear her because of all the cheers and shout-outs to her.
When asked what Houston was like that night Price told Today "My impression was that she was there, she was happy, she was celebrating - it was a pre-Grammy celebration. ... I saw nothing other than someone who was happy, moving forward and having a good time. Her daughter was there with her. She was singing, dancing and talking about her movie coming out. ...There's no condition I noticed other than celebration and wanting to have a good time."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, after Houston exited the stage, she joined Broadway singer Stacy Francis in the VIP section. They were cordial to each other until R&B star Ray J, who has recently been linked to Houston, stepped into the conversation.
"Whitney just got belligerent," an eyewitness told THR. "Ray was trying to defend Stacy, telling Whitney, 'Stacy's family!' but Whitney was feeling crowded out and hands were raised." The situation was defused.
When she left the club, however, photos show something dripping down her legs. She had scratches on her arm and leg, she was sweating profusely and her clothes were mismatched.
But Price said it was because Houston like many others at the club had been "standing all night long into the wee hours of the morning" and dancing to the music.
"We all left ... we all looked like we had just walked through a car wash," Price said. "We were sweaty, we were dancing, we were celebrating. We were worn out at the end of the evening."
Earlier on Thursday Houston dropped by rehearsals for Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party. Several members of the press were there doing a junket. Though Houston greeted people with a warm smile, she "appeared disheveled in mismatched clothes and hair that was dripping wet with either sweat or water," reports The Los Angeles Times.
Describing her as "visibly bloated," the Times says Houston "displayed erratic behavior throughout the afternoon - flailing her hands frenetically as she spoke to Brandy and Monica, skipping around the ballroom in a child-like fashion and wandering aimlessly about the lobby. It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool."
On Friday, TMZ reports Houston "partied heavily" at the Beverly Hilton, "drinking and chatting loudly" with friends in the bar.
On Saturday, a reporter for the Daily Beast was taping a segment for VH1's Behind the Music about the rapper Akon. VH1 was supposed to interview Houston about her upcoming movie, Sparkle.
Reporter Allison Samuels wrote "Someone kept banging on the door as we taped, so we stopped. The woman at the door, who it turned out was Houston's personal assistant, Lynn Volkman, said, 'Whitney's not coming, Whitney's not coming.' And then finally said, 'She's dead.' Volkman was in a daze."
Even though the autopsy for Houston is complete results will not be released, pending toxicology reports, which could take up to six to eight weeks.
"I know there are reports that she maybe was drowned, or did she overdose, but we won't make a final determination until all the tests are in," said Ed Winter of the Los Angeles coroner's office at a news conference on Sunday. He added that "there are no signs of foul play."
Her cause of death is "deferred."
Bishop T.D. Jakes, a Texas minister and producer on Houston's final film project, said he saw no signs she was having any substance issues. He said Houston was a complete professional and moved the cast and crew to tears two months ago when she sang the gospel hymn Her Eyes on the Sparrow for a scene shot in Detroit.
"There was no evidence in working with her on Sparkle that there was any struggle in her life," Jakes said Sunday. "She just left a deep impression on everybody."
Meanwhile, Simon Cowell told Piers Morgan over the weekend that an X Factor meeting was planned for today to discuss filling empty judges seats. Houston was "one of the names we were going to be talking about," he said.
USA Today