Whitney Houston. Um her uh old manager and sister-in-law Pat Houston has spoken out in response to Oprah and some of the claims that Oprah made. Um if you guys don't remember, Oprah is receiving Ken's Lion Heart Award over in France and she shared a story about Whitney Houston falling at her show.
Let's take a listen to the story that Oprah shared. First, you all know this is an amazing thing that happened. I I I I I I I had such trust from the Oprah show audience that Whitney did I think it was her last show with us and she had gone back on.
The first interview I did with her when we gone behind stage and I asked her about her intention she was clean but the day she came to my show then to perform in front of the audience she was not and she fell off of the stage. It is not a new thing for Oprah to be called out, especially for using someone else for clout. But this time, Whitney Houston's brother, Michael Houston, is allegedly fed up after Oprah made some unhinged claims about Whitney.
Honestly, it feels like Oprah just can't let this legend rest in peace, and the family is finally stepping up to say enough is enough. We've all seen Oprah play the supportive friend role for years, but Michael and the rest of the Houston [music] estate are exposing what really went down behind the scenes. They're claiming that Oprah didn't just shade Whitney, she exploited her for ratings and is now trying to rewrite history to make herself look like the hero.
So Oprah was at the Can's Lions Festival and while she was supposed to be talking about her career, she decided to bring up Whitney Houston. She reflected on Whitney's 2009 appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show, which we all remember as that big comeback interview. In case some of you were maybe a bit younger at the time, here's a clip of it.
Did Did Bobby know you were doing that interview? Uh, no. Does he know now?
Uh, no. No. No.
But I'm sure I'll be getting a call. Yeah. Are you worried about that call?
Now, Oprah didn't just talk about the interview. She claimed that Whitney actually fell off the stage before the cameras started rolling. But the day she came to my show, then to perform in front of the audience, she was not, and she fell off of the stage.
And then she went even further, suggesting that Whitney had relapsed and returned to drug use. At that time, Oprah made it sound like she was the only one who knew the truth and that she had to save Whitney by begging the audience not to release any footage of the fall. So, even though the audience was there and the audience had cameras, I begged them not to put those pictures up cuz it would ruin her life.
And they did not. Now, Michael Houston has a very complicated history with Whitney. He's even admitted in the past to being the one who first introduced her to substances.
But regardless of their past, he and the rest of the estate are not letting Oprah get away with this. They released a statement on Instagram that completely shuts down Oprah's version of events. They confirmed that yes, Whitney did fall off the stage, but it wasn't because she was high.
It was during a sound check and it happened because the area was dark and Whitney wasn't familiar with the stage layout yet. The estate said it was during a sound check and it was due to the darkness of the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage. She was absolutely not high.
They are calling Oprah out for automatically associating every single thing that happened in Whitney's life with her addiction. It's like, can a woman just trip in the dark without being accused of a relapse? The estate argued that it's inaccurate and unfair to view every performance or chapter of her life through that lens.
Michael has always been a protective unit for Whitney. He traveled with her throughout her career and worked as her tour manager. He saw the discipline, talent, and commitment that the public didn't always see.
So for him to hear Oprah, someone who claims to have loved Whitney, go on a public stage and repeat myths [music] instead of the truth, it's a huge betrayal. The estate is urging the public to remember Whitney's triumphs, not just her struggles. They said Whitney's humanity included triumphs and struggles, but on that day, she showed up as the professional and gifted artist she always worked to be.
We owe her the dignity of telling the truth, not repeating myths. Now, let's talk about the timing because this is what's really making people mad. Oprah is only mentioning this now that Clive Davis has passed away.
As we all know, Clive was the one who brought Whitney into the spotlight and was her biggest champion. Their relationship was controversial and close, but Clive would have never let Oprah get away with these claims while he was alive. Once he and I got together, I knew that the combination was going to be magical.
We've had an unbelievable chemistry. Really sitting next to me right now is the best singer in the world today. Thank you.
It looks like Oprah waited until the guardians of Whitney's legacy were gone to start spilling all these secrets. To the general public, it's looking more like clout chasing and nothing more than that. And here's the thing, guys.
Oprah herself once fell off the stage during a speech. Wellness to me means all things in balance. And balance doesn't mean all things are equal or at peace at all times.
Oh, wrong shoes. So, why is she not talking about her own incident? Why is she shading someone who isn't even here to defend herself?
It's the hypocrisy for me, you guys. The internet is absolutely not having it. People are sick of the constant focus on Whitney's addiction instead of her incredible legacy in the music industry.
One fan commented, "I am so sick of you people. Leave Whitney alone and let her rest in peace. And if you have any memories of her, why TF, aren't you mentioning the good ones or the legacy she has in the music industry?
Why are we always mentioning her drug addiction, which was a sickness, BTW? And honestly, they're right. Whitney changed the game for every female singer who came after her.
But instead of talking about her vocals or her impact, Oprah is talking about a soundcheck fall from 15 years ago. Another user pointed out Oprah's double standards. You begged them not to put the pictures out, but you decide to go in front of thousands of people to tell them exactly what you didn't want them to do.
Nikki was right when she said, "Ain't no friends in the game. You ain't learned that yet. " That part.
Oprah claims she saved Whitney by keeping the pictures private, but then she uses her own platform to describe the fall in detail to thousands of people at a festival. How is that helping Whitney? It's actually doing exactly what she claimed she wanted to prevent.
There are even fans who were there or remember the 2009 era who are calling BS on Oprah's relapse claims. One person wrote, "I don't believe her. I remember watching that and # Whitney Houston was not high.
She was sweating a lot because she was nervous but not high. I've seen her high and trust me, she was not high. Now, because old boy is gone, they want to talk about Whitney Bees.
" It feels like Oprah is trying to create a narrative that fits her hero image. She wants to be the one who knew and tried to help, even if it means throwing Whitney under the bus to do it. This isn't the first time Oprah has been accused of using black icons for ratings.
We've seen it with Michael Jackson, and we've seen it with others. She builds these people up when they're at their peak, and then she's the first one to host the Downfall special when things get messy. At the end of the day, Whitney Houston's legacy is too big to be destroyed by one talk show host's comments.
The estate is right. We owe her the dignity of the truth. We owe it to her to remember the I will always love you moments, not the soundcheck accidents.
