Could an encounter with an old friend have been Whitney Houston's final cry for help? INSIDE EDITION speaks with Houston's friend, singer El DeBarge about Houston's final public outing.
Could an encounter with a previous aquaintance have been Whitney Houston's final cry for help?
Houston tearfully greeted her old friend, '80's pop star, El DeBarge at their sudden reunion, just 48 hours before her death, she whispered in his ear and said, " she said, 'I just want to stay clean and I know if we join together, we can stay clean,'" DeBarge told INSIDE EDITION.
The reunion happened at the Tru Hollywood club, where Houston made her last public appearance joining Grammy®-nominated singer Kelly Price on stage.
DeBarge, who was also nominated for a Grammy® on Sunday, was surprised to run into Houston. Houston put her hands to her face, overwhelmed with emotion, they embraced for a full 17 seconds.
Houston and DeBarge both hit the music world at the same time back in the '80's. He was the lead singer of DeBarge, the family group groomed to follow in the footsteps of the Jackson Five, their biggest hit was 1985's "Rhythm of the Night."
But as Houston rocketed to superstar status, DeBarge's success stuttered. By then end of the 90's, he was singing backup for her at the 1999 Soul Train Awards.
DeBarge battled addiction for years and was arrested several times for drug possession, even serving time in prison. He says he's clean now, and his Grammy® nomination was affirmation of how far he's come.
Meantime, Houston was still battling demons of her own.
"I think she just really was so happy to see me because, it seemed to me like I was the one person that she knew, from just watching my life, I was given my second chance. She knew that that was something that she wanted to embrace," said DeBarge.
By the time she left the party that night, Houston's hair was damp and disheveled, and her face was sweaty. Their was also the mystery that her leg was streaked with blood and her wrist badly scratched.
INSIDE EDITION's Lisa Guerrero asked DeBarge about her condition leaving the party and if he witnessed any incident, DeBarge responded, "If I had seen that, I believe I would have been compelled to just grab her and say 'Whitney just come with me now.'"
Now everyone who knew Houston is left wondering if they could have done more to save her.
Guerrero asked DeBarge if he had any regrets in not being able to save Houston in the end.
Debarge said, "I don't know what I could have done."
