Ray J, the man who made Kim Kardashian famous if you know what I mean, was the last man to have been dating Whitney Houston before her untimely death.

In a just-released statement, Ray J speaks out on Houston’s death, saying: “Over the past few days, I’ve tried to process the emptiness that I am experiencing. What my heart feels cannot be expressed in words. The world lost an icon, but I lost my close friend.”

He continued, “Nippy, I miss you so much! You were so happy and full of love. Your smile will live in my heart forever.”