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Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston has filed for a legal separation from Bobby Brown, says her representative, Nancy Seltzer.
The pop diva filed papers Friday, and Brown has been served, says Seltzer, who would not disclose where Houston filed documents. The couple live in Alpharetta, Ga., near Atlanta. They have a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, 13.
The 14-year marriage had some bumps, but Houston, 43, had vowed to stand by her man despite his scrapes with the law. Brown, 37, who was a member of the music group New Edition, did jail time in 1998 in Florida for driving under the influence. In 2004, he served a sentence in Atlanta for probation violations and was jailed for one day in Massachusetts for failing to pay child support for two children he had with another woman.
Houston also drew headlines. In 2000, airport security in Hawaii found marijuana in her handbag. Charges were dismissed, but she and Brown were dogged with reports of drug use. In 2001, Houston admitted to ABC's Diane Sawyer that she had used drugs. In March 2004, Houston checked into a rehab facility for five days; she returned to rehab a year later.
Problems at home attracted attention. In December 2003, Houston called 911 to report that Brown had struck her in the face. She accompanied him to hearings, and misdemeanor charges were dropped.
In June 2005, Brown launched a reality series on Bravo, Being Bobby Brown. Then, producer Clive Davis announced in February that Houston was returning to the recording studio. Her last effort was a Christmas album in 2003.
But at July's Essence Festival in Texas, Brown's performance included raunchy banter about sex with his wife, and he was booed off the stage.
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