LOS ANGELES -- Detectives found white powdery substances and a spoon with white residue in the hotel room where Whitney Houston died, according to the final autopsy report released Wednesday. Houston had cocaine throughout her system when she died, the report said, and a "spoon with a white crystal like substance in it, a rolled up piece of white paper from off the top of a counter along the east wall of the bathroom" were found. The report does not specifically identify the substances as cocaine, although the drug was found in toxicology tests in Houston's heart and extremities. Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said he could not discuss how recently Houston may have used the drug. Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said their investigation is still open and he could not comment on the findings. On her final day alive, Houston complained of a sore throat, and an assistant suggested she take a bath before preparing for a pre-Grammy party, according to the report. The Grammy-winning singer died Feb. 11 after drowning in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Her death has been ruled as accidental and coroner's officials cited heart disease and cocaine use as contributing factors. Her death came just hours before a pre-Grammy gala thrown by her mentor Clive Davis. She was attempting another comeback by starring in a remake of the film "Sparkle," in which she plays the mother of three girls who form a singing group and struggle with fame and drug addiction.A trailer released Monday featured Houston prominently, including a snippet of her performance of the classic gospel song "His Eye Is on the Sparrow."Toxicology results also showed Houston had marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril, and the allergy medication Benadryl in her system.The singer also had buildup of plaque in her arteries that can restrict blood flow. Winter has said the condition is common in drug users.The singer had battled addiction for years, but friends and family have said she appeared committed to making a comeback in the months before her death. "The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 television interview with then-husband Bobby Brown by her side.
SEE WHITNEY HOUSTONS MOVIE "2012 SPARKLE" SLATED TO COME TO A MOVIE THEATER NEAR YOU. COMING IN AUGUST 2012 (did i tell you that i was a extra in this movie? well i was, i just pray that they show me lol):
NEW YORK — Viewers got a first glimpse of Whitney Houston's upcoming film Monday when NBC's "Today" show premiered a trailer for the much-awaited release, and a fuller clip debuted on Yahoo! Movies.
A remake of the 1976 original, "Sparkle" stars Houston as the mother of three girls who form a singing group and struggle with fame and drug addiction. The trailer displayed the daughters, including "American Idol" winner Jordin Sparks, in performance. Houston is prominent throughout, at one point singing the classic gospel song "His Eye Is on the Sparrow."
She also tells one of her daughters: "I always knew you had the gift. It makes me feel like I did something right. Don't lose it."
Debra Martin Chase, who is a producer of the film, said she had mixed emotions with the trailer's release; the movie is scheduled for release Aug. 17.
"On the one hand, I'm so excited about the movie and we're really happy with how it turned out," she said in a phone interview Monday. "(But) just to have it said yet again that this is Whitney's last performance, it's hard. It's hard."
Houston is listed as the executive producer of the movie, which had already finished filming in Detroit when the superstar died Feb. 11 at 48 in Beverly Hills, Calif., on the eve of the Grammy Awards. An autopsy has shown she accidentally drowned in the bathtub, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.
There is no mention made of drugs in the trailer, and Chase declined to say whether it would be a focal part of the movie as it was in the original, saying she didn't want to talk specifically about the plotlines until closer to the movie's release date.
She also added that the movie was not altered to increase Houston's time in the film in the wake of her death. "She is an integral, very much an integral part of the movie, but she's not one of the girls," she said. "She plays an important role, she's throughout the movie, but she's not one of the main characters." Chase echoed other people involved with the movie who praised Houston's professionalism on the set. The movie was seen as a comeback vehicle for the star, whose career had waned over the years due to battles with drugs and alcohol. "She was healthy, happy, on time every day, hung out on set when she wasn't working because she loved the cast," said Chase, who also declined to talk about the circumstances of Houston's death. "She had fun, her spirit buoyed everybody every day." Houston had worked to get "Sparkle" to the screen for 12 years. It was her first movie since 1996's "The Preacher's Wife" and 20 years removed from her debut in the blockbuster movie "The Bodyguard," which was rereleased for one night last week."Whitney loved this movie very much. This was her idea," Chase said. "The great thing for me as her friend and her producing partner is that this movie will be an essential part of her legacy. ... It's the best performance of her life; she knew it at the time. She looked beautiful on camera and she enjoyed every minute making the movie."
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