CORONER: WHITNEY HOUSTON WAS A CHRONIC COCAINE USER 

Whitney Houston died from an accidental drowning in a hotel bathtub, but heart disease and cocaine use were contributing factors, according to coroner’s officials.

The autopsy findings were released yesterday (Thursday), ending weeks of speculation about what killed the singer on February 11th when her body was found underwater in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

Whitney was found to have cocaine in her system at the time of her death as well as marijuana, Xanax, the muscle relaxant Flexeril and the allergy medication Benadryl.

At a press conference yesterday, L.A. County Coroner Chief Craig Harvey said the results indicated Whitney was a chronic cocaine user.

Patricia Houston, the singer’s sister-in-law and manager, said, “We are saddened to learn of the toxicology results, although we are glad to now have closure.”

A full autopsy report is expected to be released in two weeks.

THE SITUATION IN REHAB FOR ALCOHOL TOO

It wasn’t just prescription meds that landed The Situation in rehab — it was alcohol abuse too.

TMZ says the Jersey Shore star is blaming his lucrative club appearances on increasing his alcohol use. The problem isJersey Shore and drinking go together like Snooki and tanning. Is anyone interested in seeing a sober Situation on TV. We’ll soon find out. Season six begins filming this summer.

LINDSAY LOHAN WON’T TALK TO COPS ABOUT HIT-&-RUN

Lindsay Lohan is not cooperating with police in her alleged hit-and-run case. The actress has refused to be interviewed by investigators, but the good news is that her supposed victim has also refused a sit down. Neither party is under any obligation to agree to an interview. Also helping Linds — the man who accused her of hitting him with her Porsche may have staged car accidents and filed phony claims in the past.

Lindsay’s probation is set to end next week — as long as this new drama doesn’t blow up in her face.

CHARLIE SHEEN HONORED TO HAVE KATHY BATES PLAY HIM

If producer Chuck Lorre was trying to diss Charlie Sheen by having Kathy Bates play him on Two and a Half Men, it didn’t work.

Charlie is reportedly “honored” to have the actress play the ghost of his character — who was killed by a train in France earlier this season. Sources tell TMZ that Charlie thinks Kathy is a funny, talented actress, and he couldn’t be more thrilled that she’ll portray him on his old show.
HILARY DUFF GIVES BIRTH TO BOY

Hilary Duff gave birth to a baby boy, Luca Cruz Comrie, Tuesday night. She announced the news yesterday (Thursday) via Twitter. She wrote that she and hubby Mike Comrie are “overjoyed and feel like the luckiest parents in the world. He is surrounded by so much love!! Mom and baby are both doing extremely well.”

CELEB QUICKIES

Britney Spears had her monthly meeting with the judge overseeing her conservatorship yesterday, and according to TMZ, the jurist was impressed — but didn’t change Brit’s terms one bit.

A financial analyst says Oprah Winfrey‘s struggling cable network could lose $142.9 million this year. Though she already cancelled Rosie O’Donnell‘s show and laid off 30 staffers, firm SNL Kagan suggests more drastic measures are ahead.

The ex-wives of Prince, Will Smith, Eddie Murphy and Jose Canseco are set to star in the VH1 reality showHollywood Exes. The 10-episode, hour-long series will air this summer.

Friday

• Live! With Kelly (synd) — Taylor Swift, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, guest co-host Jerry O’Connell
• The Talk (CBS) — Wayne Brady, NASCAR’s Jimmie Johnson
• The View (ABC) — David Arquette, The Cranberries (repeat)
• Ellen DeGeneres (synd) — Julia Roberts (Mirror Mirror), Justin Bieber
• David Letterman (CBS) — Eli Manning, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Die Antwoord (repeat)
• Jay Leno (NBC) — Christina Aguilera (The Voice), Melanie Fiona
• Jimmy Kimmel (ABC) — Will Ferrell, Ellie Kemper (repeat)
• Craig Ferguson (CBS) — David Sedaris (repeat)
• Jimmy Fallon (NBC) — Christian Slater (Breaking In), Bethenny Frankel, Dr. Dog
• CMT airs the season finale of Sweet Home Alabama.
• NBC’s Who Do You Think You Are explores Helen Hunt‘s family tree.

Saturday

• Coldplay performs on PBS’s Austin City Limits.
• ABC premieres the sports-memorabilia reality show Ball Boys.
• CBS is there as the NCAA basketball tourney gets down to the Elite Eight.

Sunday

• HBO airs the season finale of the inappropriately titled drama Luck.
• CMT drags Pauly Shore back into the spotlight for Whiskey Business.
• TLC premieres the “reality” series Long Island Medium.

Local celebrities:

Breanna Dillenberg Derra!

Winfield’s Coffee!

 

Perez Hilton (Mario Armando Lavandeira Junior)
1978	Professional gossip (Age: 34)

 

Keri Russell
1976	Actress (T-V’s Felicity and New Mickey Mouse Club; Bedtimes Stories, August Rush, Waitress, Mission Impossible III, We Were Soldiers) (Age: 36)

 

Jason Kidd
1973	The 10-time N-B-A all-star has played for Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix. (Age: 39)

 

Damon Albarn
1968	Blur/Gorillaz/The Good, the Bad & the Queen singer-keyboardist (Age: 44)

 

John Wayne Bobbitt
1967	One of America’s most hapless celebrities entered the spotlight painfully when his wife Loreena cut off his penis. (Age: 45)

 

Catherine Keener
1960	She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress Oscars for Capote in 2006 and Being John Malkovich in 2000. Her other films include Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Where the Wild Things Are, Into the Wild, The 40 Year Old Virgin, The Interpreter, Full Frontal, Your Friends and Neighbors and The Real Blonde. (Age: 52)

 

Amanda Plummer
1957	Actress (The World According to Garp, The Fisher King, Pulp Fiction) (Age: 55)

 

Phil Judd
1953	Ex-Split Enz singer-guitarist (Age: 59)

 

Ric Ocasek

1949

The Cars‘ leader sang, played guitar and co-wrote such hits as “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl” and “Shake It Up.” Since the Boston group broke up, he’s produced a number of artists, recorded solo and worked as a record company A-&-R executive. He wasn’t part of the Todd Rundgren-fronted New Cars, but returned to the band for their 2011 reunion. He’s married to the model Paulina Porizkova. (Age: 63)

2004	Usher releases Confessions. The album sells one-point-one million copies in its first week of release — the year’s biggest debut to date.

2004	Secretary of State Colin Powell and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld appear before a federal commission investigating the September 11th, 2001, terrorist attacks.

2001	It’s announced that Mariah Carey is parting ways with Sony Music after more than a decade. (She later signs a 100-million-dollar deal with Virgin Records, which releases only one of her albums before buying her out of her contract.)

1999	BLACKstreet releases a reunion album, Finally. Usher Live is also new in stores.

1998	Titanic wins 11 Oscars at the Academy Awards.

1994	Wayne Gretzky breaks Gordie Howe‘s National Hockey League career record by scoring his 802nd goal.

1994	Howard Stern enters the race for New York governor.

1991	During the second concert in a two-night stand at London’s Wenbley Stadium, George Michael is joined on stage by Elton John. Their performance of Elton’s “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” is recorded and will become a huge worldwide hit about half a year later.

1989	Close call — a thousand-foot asteroid misses the Earth by 500-thousand miles.

1987	Janet Jackson, Luther Vandross, Cameo, Gregory Abbott and Run D-M-C are big winners at the first annual Soul Train Music Awards. Stevie Wonder receives the 1987Heritage Award.

1972	An Evel Knievel motorcycle stunt goes wrong. A bad landing after a jump over 35 cars leaves the daredevil with 93 broken bones.

1969	Jackie Gleason, Kate Smith, The Lettermen, Anita Bryant and 30-thousand other people appear at a Miami Rally for Decency. Pre-show publicity warns that “longhairs and weird dressers” won’t be allowed inside.

1967	Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. calls the Vietnam War the biggest obstacle to the civil rights movement.

1965	America’s first two-person space flight takes off from Cape Kennedy. The Gemini 3 carries astronauts Virgil I. Grissom and John W. Young.

1806	Explorers Lewis and Clark, having reached the Pacific coast, begin their journey back east.