From my research years ago, Crack is a form of Cocaine - which may be why they refer to it as an 8 ball.
Honestly, I think she's too far gone to make a come back. The link that Anngelique posted made it sound like Whitney has been living away from Bobby for months - from last fall until recently. If she's hanging out in crack houses for weeks or months at a time, her chances are slim to kick that sort of habit.
If anything, I think Bobby could have given the sister the okay to release the stories - perhaps Bobby and the sister split any money she received. He hasn't had much of a career in a long time and may have needed the money too.
