March 28, 2005

Whitney Houston Returns To Rehab

By Chris Harris (MTV.com)

One year after her first reported stay in a treatment clinic, Whitney Houston has returned to rehab.

On Wednesday, the Grammy-winning singer checked herself into a drug-rehabilitation clinic, reports The Associated Press.

Houston's publicist, Nancy Seltzer, has confirmed that the 41-year-old R&B songstress voluntarily "re-entered a rehabilitation facility," but would not provide any further details on the matter.

Houston, who has been working with music-industry legend Clive Davis on a new album, did spend five days in a treatment clinic in March 2004. Two years earlier, after years of denying drug use, she publicly confessed to Diane Sawyer - in an interview that aired on ABC's Primetime -- that she had abused cocaine, marijuana and prescription drugs in the past. However, she also claimed she'd beaten her addiction through the power of prayer, according to the AP.

Back in 2000, she was detained at Hawaii's Keahole-Kona International Airport when authorities allegedly discovered that one of her bags contained less than 15 grams of marijuana and two partially smoked joints. But misdemeanor drug possession charges that had been filed against her were ultimately dropped when a substance-abuse counselor said she did not need treatment.