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Officials Say Houston's Cause Of Death Will Take Time

It could be weeks before anyone knows exactly how singer Whitney Houston died, but that didn't stop fellow superstars at last night's Grammys from honoring her life and accomplishments.

LL Cool J, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Wonder were among the performers who mourned Houston, 48, whose body was found Saturday in a bathtub in her Beverly Hills hotel room.

Jennifer Hudson paid tribute to Houston with the late singer's signature "I Will Always Love You."

Spin Magazine wrote:

The Grammys were the site of some of the superstar's grandest moments, but now they'll always be tied with her untimely death, a mere 24 hours before the 54th Annual Grammy Awards were set to begin. Houston earned 26 Grammy nominations over the course of her four-decade career, including a quartet for Album of the Year, which she won in 1994 with The Bodyguard Original Soundtrack Album. Her last victory came in 1998 with a Best Female R&B Vocal Performance score for "It's Not Right But It's Okay." Her last nominations came in 2000, for My Love Is Your Love, including a nod for Best R&B Album.

Meanwhile, officials said the outcome of an investigation into Houston's death will not be known for some time.

Ed Winter, the assistant chief of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, said any announcement of a cause of death would have to await toxicology reports. He told reporters those reports were due in six to eight weeks.

"I know there are reports that she maybe was drowned or did she overdose, but we won't make a final determination until all the tests are in," he said. Winter ruled out foul play, and said there were no "visible signs of trauma" to her body.

Winter confirmed reports that Houston was found in the bathtub of her hotel room. "I believe somebody removed her from the bathtub and the paramedics did CPR on her," he said.

In a statement, Bobby Brown, Houston's ex-husband, appealed for privacy for their daughter, Bobbi Kristina.

"I appreciate all of the condolences that have been directed towards my family and I at this most difficult time," he said.

Update at 2:40 P.M. EST:

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen reiterates that the department is "not conducting a homicide investigation.

"My understanding is that [Houston] was pulled out [of the bathtub] by somebody on her staff prior to the paramedics arriving," he told reporters.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.
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