In a candid new interview, Bobby Brown opened up about the 2012 death of his ex-wife Whitney Houston. Speaking to Rolling Stone for a profile published on Wednesday, Feb. 28, the New Edition alum, 49, revealed what he believes led to Whitney’s tragic passing.

Whitney died at 48 years old six years ago after accidentally drowning in a bathtub at Beverly Hills’ Beverly Hilton hotel. Years of cocaine use and atherosclerotic heart disease contributed to the legendary pop star’s death, but Bobby insists that there is more to the story.

Asked to share the “most misunderstood thing” about Whitney, Bobby replied, “I don’t think she died from drugs.” In fact, the “My Prerogative” crooner told Rolling Stone that, months before she died, Whitney “was really working hard on herself to try to be a sober person and, um, she was a great woman.”

Bobby, who was married to Whitney from 1992 to 2007, went on to say that other things “played a part” in her death. The Bodyguard actress — who had been dating R&B star Ray J before her death — was also apparently “brokenhearted” for reasons Bobby failed to disclose. During his chat with the music bible, Bobby also shared his feelings about the death of his and Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina Brown.

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Nick Gordon and Bobbi Kristina Brown. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

Three years later after Whitney died, Bobbi Kristina suffered a similar fate, and was found unresponsive in a bathtub at her Georgia home. She died at age 22 in July 2015 following a six-month medically induced coma. Those who followed the devastating story know Bobbi Kristina’s longtime love, Nick Gordon, was found legally responsible for Bobbi’s death in October when he failed to show up for a court date for the wrongful death suit filed by BK’s estate.

While Nick, 22, was ordered to pay Bobbi Kristina’s family $36 million, Bobby has a different idea of how he thinks justice would be better served. “Justice? If he was locked up somewhere where somebody can rape him. That’s just how I feel. He raped me by taking my daughter away,” he told Rolling Stone, adding he doesn’t think Nick was punished harshly enough “because he’s still walking around free.”

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