Whitney Houston Funeral: Mel Gibson Invited by Extremely Appreciative Houston Family

Whitney Houston's funeral is expected to be attended by many stars, apparently including actor Mel Gibson, who was invited by the extremely appreciative Houston family.

The actor, whose career has suffered greatly as a result of his own demons, reportedly became close to Houston several years ago, when she was in the depths of her problems with alcohol and drugs, TMZ reported Friday.

Mel Gibson was there for her in those tough times, sources told TMZ, during which he accompanied her as she tried to kick her bad habits and dark ways.

So the Houston family invited Gibson to Whitney Houston's funeral, an invitation-only affair that will take place Saturday in her hometown of Newark, N.J. TMZ said the Houston family was extremely appreciative of all that the Braveheart actor did for the singer.

But apparently Mel Gibson will not be able to make it to Whitney Houston's funeral after all, as he has family plans that will take precedent, according to TMZ.

Whitney Houston's funeral will take place Saturday at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J., where Houston first sang publicly as a young child.

A number of music's biggest stars are expected to attend the ceremony, according to the paper, including Houston's godmother, Aretha Franklin; Houston's mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston; and Houston's cousin, musician Dionne Warwick.

Her close friend Chaka Khan is expected to be at the funeral as well, as are singers Kelly Price and Jennifer Hudson, the New York Daily News reported.

Whitney Houston's funeral will be a somber affair for friends and family who want to say goodbye to her in person.

Whitney Houston was pronounced dead on Saturday at 3:55 p.m. PST. The newest news reports state that the singer died of a combination of drugs and alcohol. Initially, her cause of death was rumored to be drowning. However, there was reportedly not enough water in her hotel room tub for the singer to drown.

A toxicology report and official autopsy may not be available for the next six to eight weeks. Houston's last meal included champagne and Heineken. Empty medicine bottles were found in her hotel room, along with pills like Xanax and ibuprofen.