(Cover) - EN Showbiz - Whitney Houston's friends were all "shocked" when Michael Jackson gave her a monkey for her birthday.

The late stars were known to be good friends, with claims they may even have enjoyed a secret romance.

Whitney's pal BeBe Winans recalls how surprised he was when the King of Pop presented her with the unusual offering.

"I think we were all shocked when Michael gave Whitney a monkey for her birthday," he told British newspaper The Sun.

"I've been at various people's birthdays and that is still the only gift that will baffle me for the rest of my life. I was, like, Really?' A cat, a dog, maybe I could understand but not a monkey. I wouldn't have believed it but I saw it. Whitney had it taken to the zoo straight after."

Whitney passed away in February aged 48 after she accidentally drowned in a hotel bath tub. She had battled with drugs and a coroner found they did play a part in her death.

Gospel singer BeBe prefers not to focus on the hard times. He wants people to know what the real Whitney was like, revealing she was a lot more fun than many realise.

"What I'm going to miss most is crazy Whitney'," he laughed.

"Whitney always wanted to know why I never liked to go to movies with her. Well, it's because she talked so much.

"I remember I went to see the Prince Of Tides with her in the early Nineties. Near the end of the movie the woman sitting in front of Whitney turned around and said, Can you shut up please?' Whitney grabbed the woman's blonde ponytail and said, You shouldn't be so rude'. Then she pushed her head forward." (C) Cover Media