LOS ANGELES (Feb. 24) - Grammy-winning singer Whitney Houston got ill on an airliner bound for France and was taken Thursday to a Paris hospital for treatment of apparent food poisoning, her publicist said.

"Whitney Houston was rushed to a hospital in Paris because of severe vomiting. She was sick on the aircraft," said Nancy Seltzer, her Los Angeles publicist. "She is doing well. She has gastroenteritis."

Gastroenteritis is an inflammation of the stomach and the intestines. Seltzer didn't know the source of the food poisoning.

Houston, 41, was traveling to Europe with a bodyguard when she fell ill, the spokeswoman said. When the aircraft landed as scheduled in Paris, the entertainer was taken to an undisclosed Paris hospital, where she was being treated in the emergency room.

The name of the airline and the hospital wasn't disclosed for security reasons.

It wasn't believed Houston would need to be admitted to the hospital, Seltzer said.

Houston is perhaps best known for her rendition of "I Will Always Love You" and her role in the film "The Bodyguard."


02/24/05 14:28 EST

I'd put money down on the cause somehow dealing with illegal drugs.

The balloons of heroin popped, maybe?

wheres bobby??

Once you have a roni you can never give it up.

Phil, I would say that something is definitely rotten in Denmark. Seriously, about 4 days before this happened one of the sports talk guys here in town was talking about sitting next to her at New York Prime, a prominent steak joint here in town. They are usually pretty good about not throwing the people they run into here in town under the bus for whatever they may be doing out. The reason being that they have to live here and will more than likely be around them again.

He basically said that he was sitting at the bar and she plopped down two seats away and that her behaviour was erratic to say the least. Openly sniffing and "bopping up and down in her chair", his words.

What a trainwreck. I mean where's that thread about people who can't handle their drugs. Talk about too much money and free time.