Rapper and singer Bobby Brown has recently spoken about his past struggles with alcohol abuse.
In a new episode of Red Table Talk that will air today on Facebook Watch, Brown talks with host Jada Pinkett Smith, 49, about his previous battle with alcoholism.
The 52-year-old Grammy Award winner said, “[Because of] alcohol, I started losing bodily function. My body started shutting down because I was drinking that much.”
“My body just was giving out on me,” he added, “even with alcohol, I got to the point where I needed it.”
“I wasn’t getting drunk anymore. I wasn’t getting a little tipsy anymore,” Brown continued. “I needed it to wake up. I needed it to stop the shakes, to function on a day-to-day basis. For me, it wasn’t recreational.”
Brown’s ex-wife, singer Whitney Houston, and their daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown, both died of drug-related causes. Houston died on February 11, 2012, at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in California and Bobbi Kristina died on July 26, 2015, at the age of 22.
On November 18, 2020, Brown’s son, Bobby Brown Jr., whom he shared with Kim Ward, died of an accidental overdose of cocaine, fentanyl and alcohol, at the age of 27. Brown Jr. was found dead at his home in Los Angeles, according to police spokesman Jeff Lee.
At the time, Brown released a statement obtained by PEOPLE regarding the loss of his son. He asked the public to “please keep my family in your prayers at this time. Losing my son at this point in our lives has devastated my family. There are no words to explain the pain.”
Brown and Ward revealed that they believe Brown Jr. was influenced by others to dabble in the substances that ultimately led to his death, according to PEOPLE, with Ward explaining that their son “was not into drugs.”
Ward said, “Bobby was often easily influenced. This is a situation where he associated himself with the wrong people. My son is gone and those who contributed to his senseless death should be held accountable.” Brown will address the deaths of his children on Red Table Talk today.
