Whitney Houston’s family is defending her after Oprah Winfrey recalled a private 2009 moment and said the singer was “not” sober during a performance taping.
Pat Houston, the late superstar’s sister-in-law and executor of her estate, responded after Winfrey’s remarks from Cannes Lions drew backlash online. Winfrey had been speaking about responsible storytelling when she revisited her 2009 interview with Houston.
Winfrey said Houston was clear during their interview, but claimed the performance taping told a different story.
“The first interview I did with her when we’d gone behind stage and I asked her about her intention, she was clean,” said Winfrey. “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.”
Winfrey said she asked audience members not to release images from the moment because “it would ruin her life.”
Pat told TMZ that Houston did fall, but said it happened during sound check and had nothing to do with drugs.
“She was absolutely not high,” Pat said, adding that it is “inaccurate and unfair to attach that struggle to every performance or every chapter of her life.” She also said Houston showed “discipline, talent, and commitment” that day.