Whitney 'should have rehab with her husband'

Troubled Whitney Houston is desperate to mend her ways for the sake of her daughter, the pop star’s spiritual mentor said today.

Adviser Sar Amiel also said he thought Houston should undergo rehab alongside R&B singer husband Bobby Brown, who is about to be released from prison.

Grammy-winner Houston, 40, checked into a rehab clinic earlier this week. She has admitted using drugs in the past.

Amiel, the man who put her on the road to recovery, said Houston had been “hurt” by the publicity surrounding her recent troubles.

He recently accompanied Houston, Brown and their daughter Kristina, 10, on a journey to Israel after convincing them they should go there for spiritual rejuvenation.

He said Houston’s problems were not necessarily the result of drug abuse.

“They were the result of a continuous lifestyle.

“Drug abuse is the effect, not necessarily the cause,” he told the US television show Access Hollywood.

He said Houston was determined to clean up her act in rehab.

“She does want to do this, not just for herself, but more so for her daughter,” he said.

He added that the child was currently in the care of Houston’s family.

Brown, 35, was sentenced on February 27 to serve 60 days in jail after he violated his probation terms on a drink driving charge.

One of the violations was a battery charge after he allegedly hit Houston, leaving her with a bruised cheek and a cut inside her lip.

Brown is scheduled to appear in Fulton County court on May 5 on that charge.

Amiel said he feared Brown’s forthcoming release could hinder Houston’s recovery.

Asked whether the couple should go through rehab together, he said: “That would be the optimum scenario.” The couple have been married since 1992.

It emerged earlier today that Brown would be released from jail in Atlanta to appear in a Virginia court.

DeKalb County Sheriff Thomas Brown said he was presented with an order requiring the singer to appear before the family court in an emergency hearing in Roanoke, Virginia, tomorrow.

After conferring with Judge Wayne Purdom, the sheriff consented to the release. They declined to say why Brown had been ordered to appear in Virginia.