Whitney Houston's ex-husband 'beside himself with grief'

Washington, Feb 12 (ANI): Whitney Houston's former husband, Bobby Brown, is said to be "shattered and beyond devastated" by the news of her death.

Houston was found dead in her Beverly Hills hotel room on Saturday, and her death was confirmed by her publicist and the police.

Family members say that as Brown informed them about her sudden demise, his shock turned to grief.

"He wanted to tell everyone about it before it hit the news... He didn't want any of us to hear about it on television," People magazine quoted one of his relatives as saying.

"He could hardly get the words out when he called me... He was sobbing, and by the end of the call, I was sobbing too. He's beside himself right now," the relative said.

Houston had wed soul crooner Bobby Brown in 1992 in a marriage that surprised many, given Brown's bad-boy reputation. The following year, the couple welcomed a daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

After a tumultuous relationship that included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993, the two divorced in 2007.

Despite their broken relationship the two still remained friendly.

"They had Bobbi Kristina in common, and were determined to be co-parents to her. They didn't hate each other. In fact, there was a lot of respect.

"So this has hit Bobby really hard. He is devastated. He loved her very much. This is a very sad time for him," his relative said.

Brown hasn't made any official comment on the incident. A source said that he heard the news about his ex-wife while in Memphis, where he is currently located for a New Edition concert. The source added that he is "shattered and beyond devastated". (ANI)