Whitney Follows Through on Divorce Intentions

Whitney Follows Through on Divorce Intentions

By Sarah Hall Oct 18, 2006 6:00 PMTags
Whitney Houston is no longer saving all her love for Bobby Brown.

A month after filing for a legal separation from her husband of 14 years, Houston has taken the  breakup to the next level by officially filing for divorce in Orange County Superior Court, her rep Nancy Seltzer said Tuesday.

The move comes as no surprise, considering Houston has been referring to the split as a divorce from day one, even when it was technically still a separation.

"We're saying she filed for divorce because that is [Whitney's] intent," Seltzer told People magazine last month.

In her separation documents, Houston, 43, requested custody of the couple's 13-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, with visitation rights for Brown, 37. She also asked that division of  property be attended to at a later date.

Since the day they wed on June 18, 1992, Houston and Brown's tumultuous union has been well chronicled in the press.

In between stints in jail for Brown and rehab for Houston, the couple's marriage endured a trial separation, rumors of infidelity, drug addiction, domestic abuse and various encounters with the law.

Then came the duo's bizarre TV turn on the Bravo reality series Being Bobby Brown, which provided viewers with far more than they needed to know about Brown and Houston's bathroom habits, but failed to demystify the inner workings of their marriage.

In January, reports surfaced once again that the pair were on the verge of divorce, despite Brown's adamant denials.

"We're here and we're gonna be together for a long time, so people can expect us to stay together," the R&B singer told People magazine at the time. "I'm with my wife for the duration--and that's life."

A few months later, Brown's sister made headlines when she told the National Enquirer that the marriage was suffering because Houston was addicted to crack and provided photos of what she said was her sister-in-law's bathroom, littered with apparent drug residue and garbage.

However, Brown again defended his Grammy-winning wife, telling People he was "happily married."

"We are going to stand for each other for as long we live," he said. "I adore that woman. She helps me see God. I look in her eyes and I see God."

Apparently, Brown's eyes didn't hold the same allure for Houston.

Since the couple went their separate ways, Houston has stayed out of the spotlight for the most part. Brown, on the other hand, hasn't been so lucky.

Earlier this month, a warrant was issued in Massachusetts for the ex-New Edition star's arrest after he failed to appear at a hearing related to overdue child support payments to Kim Ward, the mother of two of his children.

Brown cleared the matter up this week by making good on $11,000 in back payments, meaning he's officially no longer wanted--by the law, or by his wife.