Oprah Winfrey Says She Covered for Whitney Houston Once; Whitney’s Family Calls BS
Oprah Winfrey has been feeling chatty lately, making a series of appearances to talk about her life, her career, and behind-the-scenes information. While most people have enjoyed Oprah’s recent chatter, the estate of Whitney Houston has not. The family of Houston has come out swinging after Oprah claimed the singer showed up to her show so hopped up on drugs that everyone noticed. Oprah claims she covered for Whitney, but the family is calling complete BS on her story. Here’s what is happening.
Oprah Winfrey claims she once covered for Whitney Houston
Oprah Winfrey recently appeared at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Oprah, who was accepting an award, regaled her audience with tales from her famed talk show. She told the crowd that Whitney Houston once showed up to the show so drugged up that she fell off the stage in front of a live studio audience.
Oprah said she acted quickly to prevent photos of Houston on the floor from going viral. She claims she asked the audience not to release any photos they had of the incident and, for reasons Oprah didn’t fully explain, they honored the ask. Oprah said she made the request because she feared evidence of Whitney’s drug use could ruin her life. Whitney had discussed her addiction issues in an interview filmed just days before the fall. It was the last time the iconic singer appeared on Oprah’s show. Oprah used the story to highlight how different things are today. Houston’s estate, though, is furious.
Whitney’s family insists that is not how it happened
While Oprah Winfrey positioned herself as a good Samaritan working to keep Whitney Houston’s image intact, the estate of the late singer is calling BS. After Winfrey’s words went viral, the estate issued a statement via TMZ, insisting that Whitney was not high when she performed on Oprah’s show back in 2009.
Former manager Pat Houston acknowledged that Whitney fell off the stage that day, but insists drug use had nothing to do with it. According to the statement, Whitney was perfectly sober. Instead, the family claims she fell because of poor lighting, recalling that the staging area was pitch black during the fateful sound check.
Whitney Houston died in 2012 at age 48. Weeks after her death, Winfrey sat down with Pat Houston, Whitney’s brother Gary, and Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, for an emotional interview on “Oprah’s Next Chapter,” in which the family addressed the rumors surrounding her death. Bobbi Kristina died three years later, in 2015, in circumstances many noted echoed her mother’s.
