In an interview with the Today Show on Friday, Aretha Franklin revealed she heard of the tragic death of goddaughter Whitney Houston on television. Franklin said she had just finished watching The Descendants Saturday evening when news broke of Houston’s death.
"Maybe two minutes after I [turned off the movie], it came across the screen. I jumped up off the side of the bed ... I just said, 'Oh my God. That's not good,’” the Queen of Soul told Al Roker.
Franklin, who is set to sing at Houston’s funeral tomorrow, hopes Houston is not defined by her personal struggles, which included years of drug and alcohol addiction.
"She was having her problems, she was having her challenges, but a lot of people have challenges of all kinds. You cannot define a person on just one thing. You can't just forget all these wonderful and good things that a person has done because one thing didn't come off the way you thought it should come off,” Franklin added.
Los Angeles authorities reportedly believe Houston died from a combination of prescription drugs and alcohol. The coroner will determine the official cause of death after reviewing autopsy and toxicology results. Houston is survived by her 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, and ex-husband Bobby Brown.
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