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Whitney Houston shared her personal struggles with the world and spoke in-depth about her battle against drug addiction. In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston claimed that at the height of her addiction, she and her then-husband Bobby Brown indulged together. Now, Brown is reflecting on his life and career in an upcoming documentary and series. He says he believes Houston would not have died if they did not divorce.

Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston in candid shot; Brown says he believes Houston would still be alive if they'd stayed together
Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston 1998 | JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images

Bobby Brown believes Whitney Houston would still be alive if they hadn’t divorced and reveals what tore them apart

Houston filed for divorce in 2006. A year later, the divorce was finalized. Brown says he was able to get sober from narcotics while doing a stint in prison years before Houston filed for divorce and has been sober from narcotics since. While he admits both he and Houston tried several times throughout their marriage to get sober together, they failed. But Brown says he was determined.

“It was really rough because I was so addicted. I had to be put into medical detox first,” he told People Magazine in a recent interview. “And then the Bible got me through. It was about becoming healthier for my daughter [Bobbi Kristina] and for the rest of my kids.”

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Unfortunately, the “I’m Your Baby Tonight” singer was not as lucky and continued to try and maintain her sobriety until her 2012 death. “I think we could have helped each other out,” he revealed in his forthcoming A&E documentary and reality series. “I think she’d still be here if we hadn’t divorced.”

Production insiders from the documentary and subsequent reality series told The Sun they believe Brown’s honesty about Houston will “finally go some way to showing the world Bobby’s remorse, battles to stay sober and regrets.” The source continued: “Bobby admits that their lives were destroyed by addictions rather than loathing each other. Certainly, they both hoped that things would not turn out differently. These interviews certainly paint a different light on what the world may feel was the true nature of Whitney and Bobby’s life. Moments are truly heartbreaking. His public image as a bad boy is likely to be rethought too.”

He says he was shocked to learn that Whitney Houston was using drugs at the time of their death

Despite the divorce, Brown and Houston remained co-parents to their only daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown. They even remained friends to a certain extent.

Houston was found submerged in a bathtub in her hotel room on Feb. 11, 2012 and was pronounced dead at the scene. Per an autopsy report, she died of accidental drowning, heart disease, and cocaine was also found in her system. Brown was stunned by the autopsy finding.

He told People Magazine: “I thought she was getting herself together, I thought she was really doing a good job and trying to get sober, and I didn’t think she would turn back [to drugs].”

The singer has found love in Alicia Etheredge-Brown

Brown and Etheredge-Brown met in the 80s and were friends before he married Houston. She even attended their 1992 wedding and says she consoled Brown when he got cold feet and nearly didn’t make it down the aisle. The two reconnected amid his and Houston’s divorce. 

Etheredge-Brown eventually became his manager and helped him get to revitalized his music career. They have been married since 2012.