View the Gallery / 34 Photos »

[Ed. Note: This has to be the most awkward set of file photos to be released in the wake of Whitney's death, so of course we ran them. In a way, it's what Whitney would've wanted. Mostly because she drank a lot. - SW]

Despite early reports suggesting an accidental drowning, TMZ reports Whitney Houston‘s family have been officially informed the cause of death is drug and alcohol related which, let’s be honest, probably isn’t going to cause any of them to clutch their pearls except maybe Dionne who should’ve seen it coming:

Whitney Houston’s family was told by L.A. County Coroner officials … the singer did not die from drowning, but rather from what appears to be a combination of Xanax and other prescription drugs mixed with alcohol … this according to family sources.
We’re told Coroner’s officials informed the family there was not enough water in Whitney’s lungs to lead to the conclusion that she drowned.
Our sources say the family was told Whitney may well have died before her head became submerged.

So now that drowning’s been ruled out, I guess we can let Aquaman off the hook even though he’s still a gill-faced junkie whose half-porpoise son cries each night for a father that’s never home. In the meantime, probably my favorite Whitney story of the past 24 hours, has to be LA Times reporter Gerrick Kennedy who went on TODAY this morning and tried to act like he noticed something “off” about Whitney hours before her death. Via Mediaite: More »