Houston, we have a problem

Pop diva Whitney Houston’s husband has been charged with battery after he allegedly hit her at their Atlanta home.

Police spokesman Kurtis Young said singer Bobby Brown, 34, turned himself in.

The couple, who have an often stormy relationship, left Fulton County Magistrate Court together after they and their lawyers met police.

Brown’s lawyer, Maurice Bennett, said the couple were trying to work out the problem “as husband and wife.”

Houston, 40, declined comment, but her lawyer, Mark Trigg, said: “She is trying to resolve the matter privately.”

On Sunday, Houston told police that Brown had struck her on the left side of her face with an open right hand.

Brown then went to the airport for a flight to Los Angeles, the police report said.

Police said Houston had a bruised cheek and a cut inside her upper lip.

Simple battery is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine. Normally on a first offence in domestic violence cases, the charge is dismissed if the defendant undergoes counselling.

Brown served seven days jail in August for violating his probation for a 1996 drunken driving conviction. He also served 26 days in a Florida jail in 2000 for an earlier probation violation.

Houston and Brown have been married since 1992. They have a 10-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina.