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Whitney Houston died earlier today, February 11. After being seen just days ago with singer Ray J, it is being reported that she has passed. TMZ has the details…

PHOTOS: Whitney Houston’s Last Time In Public

Whitney Houston died this afternoon … a rep for the singer told the Associated Press.

Houston won two Emmy Awards, six Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards during her record-breaking career. Her album “Whitney” was the first female album to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard Charts. She has sold 200 million albums world wide.

Houston holds an Honorary Doctorate in Humanities from Grambling State University in Louisiana.
Houston had one child, Bobbi Kristina, with husband Bobby Brown. Houston and Brown were married from 1992-2007. 
Story developing …

SOURCE: [TMZ]

UPDATE

Entertainment reporter Alan Duke confirmed to CNN that Whitney Houston was found dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel where she was staying leading up to the Grammys tomorrow night, February 12. Clive Davis’ pre-Grammy party was set to take place at the same hotel tonight where Whitney had plans to attend.

Ray J, her longtime on-and-off again boyfriend is “distraught and tripping right now about what is happening.”

UPDATE

During a press conference, Mark Rosen, a spokesperson for the Beverly Hills police department stated that Whitney was pronounced dead at 3:55PM PST. There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent, and the Beverly Hills police is currently investigating. The police attempted CPR but were unsuccessful.

UPDATE

Whitney’s bodyguard, coincidentally named Ray, found Whitney Houston dead on the floor of her fourth floor hotel room. Ray J’s publicist confirms this info though he was not near the scene at the time.

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

Whitney Houston “partied heavily” at the Beverly Hilton hotel with a group of friends … hotel staff tell TMZ.
We’re told Whitney and her friends were in the bar for a time and the group was drinking and very loud. Our sources say even though the hotel is busy with all the Grammy festivities, Whitney and her group stood out because they were so boisterous. 

Again, it’s too early to know what caused her death.

Houston was found dead today at the Beverly Hilton. She was 48.

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

Beverly Hilton hotel employees tell TMZ … Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her room.

UPDATE

No illegal drugs have been found in the hotel room where Whitney was found dead, but it is possible that the singer drowned in the bathtub.  Sources tell TMZ that when EMTs arrived Whitney’s body was already removed from the bathtub so it will take an autopsy to determine if she OD’d, drowned or died from some other cause.

Informed sources tell us … Beverly Hills cops — who were still searching the room at the time this story was posted — found various pill bottles.  There was no evidence that Whitney was drinking alcohol in the room.

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

Whitney Houston was taking Xanax … evidence she may have fallen asleep in thebathtub where she died … TMZ has learned.

Family members of Whitney tell us the singer had a prescription for the drug, which is commonly used to treat anxiety and depression.  

We told you yesterday … the night before Whitney died, she had been drinking a lot.Xanax mixed with alcohol can cause severe sedation, which could cause someone to fall asleep in a bathtub.

As TMZ first reported, Whitney was found in the bathtub and removed before EMTs arrived.  The L.A. County Coroner will perform an autopsy — possibly today — to determine if Whitney died from drowning, and OD or other causes.

As we previously reported, Beverly Hills cops obtained a search warrant and found various prescription bottles — but, as far as we know, no illicit drugs.

UPDATE

RadarOnline reports:

Law enforcement officials found Lorazepam, Valium, and a sleeping medication in Whitney Houston’s hotel room, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The singer was found unresponsive by members of her enterourage on Saturday afternoon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel and she was declared dead by responding paramedics at 3:55 p.m. PST on the eve of the Grammy’s.

Houston had “a plethora of sedatives including Lorazepam, Valium, Xanax, and a sleeping medication that was found in her hotel room,” a law enforcement source tells us.

The prescription drugs were officially taken into custody by the Beverly Hills Police Department, who is handling the investigation, and an autopsy is scheduled to take place either Sunday or Monday.

“Investigators from BHPD will be there when the autopsy is done. This is routinely done in cases when someone relatively young dies and there are no signs of foul play,” the insider tells us.

Authorities have unofficially ruled out suicide and are currently looking at Houston’s death as an accidental overdose.

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

Whitney Houston was found in the bathtub of a Beverly Hills hotel yesterday … with her face underwater … people close to Whitney tell TMZ.

According to our sources, her stylist, hairdresser and two bodyguards were among the people in the room at the time. We’re told they became worried about Whitney because she had been in the bathroom for over an hour and it was time to start getting ready for the Clive Davis party. 

Our sources say they began to knock on the door and there was no answer. We’re told the hairdresser, who is female, went in to check on Whitney. She immediately screamed and, according to our sources, one of the bodyguards came running in and pulled her out of the tub. 

We’re told Whitney’s face was below the water and her legs were up … like she had slid down the back of the tub. 
According to our sources, her body was very cold and the bodyguard attempted CPR. That’s when hotel security was called. 
Paramedics arrived shortly thereafter, but Whitney was pronounced dead at 3:55 PM

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

People close to Whitney Houston were aware she was taking Xanax — and according to our sources, she told them she always took it before big performances … like the pre-Grammy party she was scheduled to perform at last night.

We’re told Whitney believed the Xanax helped calm her nerves before going out in front of people. According to our sources, Whitney claimed to have anxiety and panic attacks and the pills helped her relax before taking the stage. 

Our sources say the people inside of Whitney’s hotel room when she died were aware Whitney would take Xanax before shows. We’re told those people never saw Whitney take any pills, she would just tell them she did. They are unaware how many she would take or if she took any other drugs.
According to our sources, Whitney did not mention taking Xanax yesterday.

Our sources say Whitney had been in a good mood all day and was excited to be performing that evening.

UPDATE

TMZ reports:

The autopsy of Whitney Houston revealed she did have water in her lungs when she died, but the medical examiner needs to determine exactly how much before they can rule whether she died as a result of drowning … law enforcement sources tell TMZ. 

As TMZ first reported, authorities believe Houston may have fallen asleep or lapsed into unconsciousness in the bathtub and drowned.

But according to our sources, authorities cannot yet determine whether Houston died before she was submerged in the water or after. We’re told there is still a possibility Houston was dead before she went under the water. 
Toxicology results will be back in 4-6 weeks.