Whitney Houston Enters Drug Rehab

Seltzer said in a statement Monday that Houston "thanks everyone for their support and prayers." She did not provide any more details. It has long been rumored that Whitney Houston has battled with drugs and alcohol. Houston admitted to Diane Sawyer during a December 2002 interview on ABC’s "Primetime" that she had abused drugs in the past. Houston said that she "partied a lot", but added that "you get to a point where you know the party’s over." Denying tabloid reports that she had done crack cocaine, Houston said, "Crack is cheap. I make too much for me to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight, okay? I don’t do crack. I don’t do that. Crack is whack." She also said that she had "gotten beyond that time through prayer."

Perhaps she should’ve prayed harder. Houston was once the shining star of pop, but her popularity has steadily declined since her eyebrow raising marriage to singer Bobby Brown in 1992. The couple has endured domestic violence, Brown’s numerous arrests, drug abuse allegations, and a reported separation in 1998. Houston faced a petty misdemeanor drug charge after an incident at Keahole Kona International Airport in January 2000 in which she left behind a bag at the airport that allegedly contained less than half an ounce of marijuana and three partially smoked marijuana cigarettes. The charges were dismissed in 2001 after a drug counselor declared that Houston did not need substance abuse treatment. Maybe she did.

Maybe if she had had treatment then she wouldn’t be in rehab right now. The problem with the rich and famous is that no one holds them accountable for their actions. Seltzer has long since denied inquiries about Houston’s erratic behavior and emaciated appearance. It’s difficult to imagine that those closest to Houston have never stepped up to help her defeat her addictions.