Coroner: Houston drowned after cocaine use
Whitney Houston performs at the O2 Arena on April 25, 2010, in London.
March 22nd, 2012
05:24 PM ET

Coroner: Houston drowned after cocaine use

Whitney Houston died from an accidental drowning in a hotel bathtub, but the "effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use" were contributing factors in her death, the Los Angeles County Coroner said in an autopsy report released Thursday.

Houston, 48, was "found submerged in bathtub filled with water" and "no trauma or foul play is suspected," the coroner said.

The toxicology tests found other drugs in her body, including marijuana, the anti-anxiety drug Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the allergy medicine Benadryl, the report said. But these drugs "did not contribute to the death," it said.

The final coroner report is expected to be made public within two weeks, the coroner said.

Houston died February 11 in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, the day before the music industry gathered for the annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

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Filed under: California • Celebrity • Showbiz • Whitney Houston
soundoff (466 Responses)
  1. crazy media

    Kids...........just say no to drugs

    March 22, 2012 at 5:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • Hap Hazzard

      Except the legally sanctioned ones like alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, Flexaril, Carisoprodol, Xanax, Paxil, Zoloft, Albuterol, etc. Nobody ever dies from over consumption of those. They are just as safe as can be.

      March 22, 2012 at 6:00 pm | Report abuse |
  2. inert

    So John & Ken at KFI were correct.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:48 pm | Report abuse |
  3. LC B

    Benadryl is a killer drug? I know, it said this did not contribute to her death . . . but . . . folks do take it, to help induce sleep! My Dr told me it is a 'safe' thing to take for occasional sleeplessness – except when taken before getting into a tub of hot water – go figure.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • Buddi

      Read "Uses" and "Adverse Effects" about Benadryl. It's generally safe in small doses, occasional use, and not when combined with other substances. But mix enough things together, or take enough of them, or get hooked - they become substantially more dangerous.

      March 22, 2012 at 6:03 pm | Report abuse |
  4. RichWW2

    I could've told you cocaine would be responsible for Whitney Houston's death 10 years ago. Is this *actually* a surprise to anyone?

    March 22, 2012 at 5:48 pm | Report abuse |
    • Big George in Big D

      Nope, not to me. Probably will be to the people that take the crap and defend it.

      March 22, 2012 at 5:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • lilli

      everyone should have known that cocaine was involved better watch that daughter

      March 22, 2012 at 5:53 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Gwats

    For someone with such a beautiful talent, she sure treated her body like a toilet, Dumping all that garbage in it. What a waste of life.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Bob

      Youre not really supposed to dump "garbage" in your toilet, you know.

      March 22, 2012 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
  6. Atompkins

    This would never happen if she was with bobby he looked out for his lady

    March 22, 2012 at 5:49 pm | Report abuse |
    • Jennifer C

      You mean like when he threw her from a car?

      March 22, 2012 at 5:51 pm | Report abuse |
    • HoustonWeHaveAProblem

      He would have snorted at least half of it, thus saving her from herself.

      March 22, 2012 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
    • Big George in Big D

      Sure he did, got her hooked on drugs, beat the crap out of her. He was a good guy and you're a moron!

      March 22, 2012 at 5:52 pm | Report abuse |
  7. northernCA

    just plain sad

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  8. Mike

    It is tragic the way her life ended but the coroner results only confirm what was suspected. But I simply don't understand some grieving fans who were defensive and seemed to deny she had a drug problem. Even Whitney herself admitted her problems in various interviews over the years. In any event, rest in peace; a great talent gone too soon.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  9. Ronald Raygun

    cocaine is a helluva drug...

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  10. HoustonWeHaveAProblem

    In other news, Whitney Houston has been sober for a whopping 40 days. This has been the first time of an entire month of sobriety ever since she hit 18. Now there is the real story.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  11. Someone

    Well, I guess with all of those drugs in her system, wasn't she also drinking alcohol? If so, they should have listed that as another contributing factor.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
    • Big George in Big D

      According to the bar tender in the hotel bar – she was drunk on her butt, talking crap, making demands like she was some diva!

      March 22, 2012 at 5:53 pm | Report abuse |
  12. deedog

    That's what you call "speed balling"

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  13. sistersolja

    We know that she had a drug issue – CNN THANK YOU FOR GIVING HER THE BEST FUNERAL COVERAGE WORTHY OF A QUEEN! SHE WAS A QUEEN! Soooooooooooo, the negative comments will dissolve like salt in a glass of water – It won't matter! She's at PEACE! THANK GOD!

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
    • Big George in Big D

      Peace? There is no peace where she is.

      March 22, 2012 at 5:53 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Adam

    Really CNN? Drowning...but what caused the drowning? " An overdose of Flexeril can be fatal.
    Hmm all these "legal" "safe" drugs from the legal drug cartels aka BIG PHARMA are killing people FAST.

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
  15. GoneIn6

    SevenTX That makes no sense. Suicide is an intentional act . This was ruled accidental as it should be and just as you described "she never even realized she was drowning".

    March 22, 2012 at 5:50 pm | Report abuse |
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