Ordered To Rehab...

[WXIA-TV Atlanta & Associated Press Report]
Whitney Houston Ordered To Rehab

By: Alicia Barnes
Last Modified: 3/25/2005 11:08:22 PM

"Stay strong Bobby, I got your back,” said Whitney Houston when her husband, Bobby Brown, faced charges related to drugs and alcohol in Dekalb County. It now seems the pop diva will have to take her own advice.

Entertainment attorney, Vincent Dimmock who is the spokesperson for the family, says Houston is on her way to recovery.

“Whitney is doing just fine right now, she's receiving proper care and treatment,” Dimmock said.

After a petition was sent to the Fulton County Courthouse, a judge ordered Houston into rehab. Dimmock said sheriffs escorted Houston to a facility.

Dimmock would not comment on who petitioned the judge, but said the family supports what is best for Houston. “We have no reason at this time to think that anyone will challenge the court’s action,” Dimmock said.

In March 2004, Houston checked herself into an undisclosed rehabilitation center. After years of denying drug use, the pop diva said she had used cocaine, marijuana, and pills in an interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC's "Primetime" in 2002.

In January 2000, Houston left behind a bag at an airport in Hawaii that allegedly held less than half an ounce of marijuana and three partially smoked marijuana cigarettes; a petty misdemeanor drug charge was dismissed when a counselor said Houston didn't need treatment for substance abuse.

It may be awhile before Houston recovers. “It’s an ongoing process, so we don't think one stint in the rehabilitation center is going to solve any problem, it’s an ongoing process and this may last for years possibly,” Dimmock said.

Houston, 41, has been working with producer Clive Davis on a comeback album.

The Grammy-winning singer is known for her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and her role in the 1992 film "The Bodyguard." Houston and R&B singer Bobby Brown have been married since 1992 and have an 12-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

Brown has a history of drug and alcohol arrests.

The couple lives near Alpharetta, a suburb north of Atlanta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report
 

NEWSFILE: 25 MARCH 2005