Bobby Brown ‘Today’ Show Interview: Whitney Houston Was High on Drugs ‘Way Before’ They Met — Video

Bobby Brown gave his first televised interview with "Today" host Matt Lauer Wednesday (May 2), opening up about his ex-wife Whitney Houston's battle with narcotics and the public's misconceptions about the damaging role he played in her life.

The "Don't Be Cruel" crooner, who learned of Houston's passing on Feb. 11 from his New Edition groupmate Ralph Tresvant, was devastated when he heard the news. "You never expect someone that's close to you to just die," Brown admitted. "It was really hard."

Houston and Brown saw one another a week before her passing, during a dinner with his daughter Bobbi Kristina when she showed up. Despite the "glow" on her face, she was apparently hooked on cocaine, which was found in her system at the time of her death.

"I was hurt," Brown shared. "Me being off of narcotics off the last seven years... I didn't know she was struggling with it still."

He admits "maybe" he could've done something differently to prevent her downfall, but he was not the reason she battled addiction. As for Houston's drug use, Brown says she was taking narcotics "way before me." "I worried about it when we first got together," he disclosed. "But I know I wasn't the one that got her addicted to drugs or I'm not the reason she's gone."

The singer's final one-on-one "Today" show interview airs Thursday on NBC.

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