“[Whitney] was, at that time, really in a downward spiral with drugs, and it was obvious to anyone who was watching her. There was a horrible, horrible performance on the AMA’s or something. Do you remember that? She was so skinny, she looked so much like an addict. She had produced Cinderella for Brandy. The whole hour [of O’Donnell’s talk show] was her and Brandy on Cinderella, and she didn’t show up. So I said to her crew, who was already there, ‘This is on all of you. Because when she dies, everyone’s going to ask “Why didn’t you do something?”‘ And Robyn [Crawford], who was her partner for a while, she had written me and told me that was a very big day for them ― the crew around her ― to think that they had to make inroads to try to help her, and sadly, they didn’t. Or couldn’t…Whitney was troubled by, I think, the gay part of her life and didn’t want it exposed. It’s hard in black culture to accept gayness. It’s culturally more difficult, I think. And the church, the Baptist church…weighed heavily on her, growing up in the church in gospel and singing, I think that there was a lot of conflict about that.”–Comedienne and former talk show host Rosie O’Donnell, discussing Whitney Houston’s notorious no-show appearance on her show. In an interview with the podcast Hot Takes & Deep Dives, O’Donnell discussed her friendship with Houston, Houston’s struggles with her sexuality and drugs, which ultimately cost her life at age 48.
In Quotes
Rosie O’Donnell says Whitney Houston was “conflicted” about her sexuality
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Chrisk
Not exactly surprised. The black community isn’t the most accepting. I think it’s a combination of toxic masculinity and yes the church.
People not accepting themselves are almost always the root cause of drugs and alcohol abuse.
This among many other reasons is why I hate the delusion known as religion.
Donston
Whitney was also apparently abused as a kid and had superstar pressures and huge fame as teenager. While she likely initially started doing drugs casually because the whole damn industry was doing coke in the 80s. And most of the people around her were more concerned about her career and money than her physical health, mental health and contentment.
The constraints of religious pressures/guilt did likely affect her. As did her probable fluidity and/or dimensions as far as gender, romantic, sexual, emotional investment, relationship commitment spectrum.
Yes, religious pressures, internalized homophobia, toxic masculinity, the fragility of the male ego, homo shame, queer insecurities are a bit more prominent among Black/Latinos. But there are multiple reasons for that. And those things are prominent in every race.
My2CentsWorth
It is a sad situation. Many guys have gone the booze and drug route because of religion. I have encountered a few guys who seem to have gone that way. One (not a Black guy) is the son of a Baptist Church preacher who is a good guy by the way, who felt that he had to be an uber casanova. The results were three or four marriages, many children, inability to keep a job, and doing things that were not normal such as telling his mother that he was having an affair with a woman who was not his wife. His wife at the time was the daughter of a successful business owner and she was the only child. The possibility of him being homosexual became obvious when I first became friends with his brother. He ended up being forced out of a job because he made a move on a male co-worker who made a big deal out of it.
The guy is a very intelligent person. I saw some of his artwork. My friend is the most successful of the three children but had the brother not been dealing with his sexuality he could have easily become the most successful of the three children.
He is now in his late 40s (or early 50s). I am sure that if he had come out early his parents would have accepted him. They are incredible decent people.
Fahd
This is no surprise if you’ve seen the biopic. Many people troubled about their own sexuality have escaped into addiction and destroyed their own and other’s lives, but I think addiction is more complicated — there’s no one cause or explanation; regardless of race, gender, etc. Whitney succumbing to addiction was profoundly sad. Maybe Aretha Franklin’s voice was the greatest in modern times, but Whitney’s was at least a close second to hers.
doristhom
xmeet.fun – great project for adults who want to find a sexual partner
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I say this to all of you; please refrain from commenting if you have never done coke, crack, meth, Special-K, heroin or were never a heavy drinker. I ask that because without having done those drugs you have no idea how addicting they are and the power those drugs have over a users life. Trust me, especially those of you whom live in big cities when I say you HAVE known a functioning drug addict whom you would have never guessed that drugs is why this persons was the way they were. Chances are it was that a-hole boss whose personality changed with the blowing wind that you could never get along with no matter how hard you tried. To make a long story short, you do not know the power of addiction until you’ve gone thru it yourself and lived to look back and see how you’ve straiten up your life and can now tell others about it.
asa1973
Whitney and Robyn were very close, but they were never “dating” or “partners,” according to Robyn, herself. They slept together once, before Whitney garnered widespread fame. There are probably many reasons why Whitney struggled with addiction and her sexuality, but it’s myopic and reductive for Rosie to blame it on the black community,. Also, there are some simple facts she gets wrong about Whitney’s life, including the timeline of some events, even if she did actually know Whitney and Robyn casually. She’s no authority on either.
Openminded
I feel like it’s bad form for Rosie to make these statements about Houston, especially after her death. My family dined at a table next to Rosie and her kids some 20+ years ago during a Disney trip. She looked like a pathetic drunken slob who totally ignored the kids. I’m certain if not for her celebrity status they would not have allowed her in the particular restaurant we dined at due to the presentation of herself. I lost all respect for her that night.
Donston
I don’t think Robyn would reveal that they were ever “lovers” or had a legit relationship even if they were. I don’t see her undermining Whitney’s wishes or image. So, ultimately, we’ll never really know. And it’s not really our business.
Rosie’s statement turned Whitney’s traumas, mental health struggles and drug addiction all about “sexuality” and the “black community”. Clearly her issues were more complicated than that. And though Whitney probably had dimensions/some degree of fluidity, it’s hard to say what was going on with her sexuality or her placement in the gender, romantic, sexual, affection, emotional investment, relationship contentment spectrum.
Cam
Not sure why some accounts keep trying to lie about what Robyn said. She confirmed a 2 year relationship with Houston.(Spaces added in link due to Queerty’s filter.
https: //www.bbc. com/news/entertainment-arts-50432110#:~:text=Robyn%20Crawford%20was%20Whitney%20Houston’s,her%20assistant%20and%20creative%20partner.&text=She%20confirms%2C%20for%20the%20first,she%20stresses%20in%20the%20book.
Cam
@Openminded
And as is typical, one of the right wing troll accounts screenames comes in to not just deflect from the fact that Houston was LGBTQ, but also to deflect the topic by attacking another LGBTQ person rather than talking about the dangers of the closet and fear.
You aren’t subtle.
Openminded
@CAM, Houston went to her grave not disclosing her sexuality to the public. When did it become acceptable in the Gay community to out people, especially after their death? You are the not so subtle bigoted troll.
winemaker
Again, more nonsensical BS from washed up 58 year old rosie o’ donnel;l .trying to be relevant. Really who cares what this loudmouthed rude and obnoxious warthog has to say. about anything much less Whitney Huston, who’s dead and can’t comment on the issue. . Enough on the drama and updates on rose o’ donnel and the same for ellen degenerate. What people see and saw in these entities is beyond me and a lot of other people both gay and straight.
Doug
What difference does it make how old she is?
Gabby
Relevant enough to have you leave a comment. who cares if Rosie is 58? I have said it for many years, Whitney and Michael Jackson were very conflicted with their sexualities. Rosie is spot on in her assessment.
Cam
The right wing troll switches to another screename to attack an out LGBTQ person rather than allow the main topic, that Houston was LGBTQ and whose life was destroyed by the pressures of bigotry and the closet.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
@winemaker…..”Really who cares what this loudmouthed rude and obnoxious warthog has to say.”
Personally I cant agree more on your assessment of this bowling ball headed failure who is jealous of every black woman who made it and too stupid to see that her personality is why the majority of white celebrities cant stand being around her. Ellen has been in the news for nearly a year but no one seems to take notice of this nobody’s deafening silence on Ellen’s plight or asked her opinion of whats going on (at least to my knowledge) and even if she came to Ellen’s rescue who’d care what she’d have to say about it? Her talk show made her appear just as what she is; an obnoxious loudmouth frustrated suburban raised forever frowning lesbian outta New Jersey. Imagine having a boss like her to look at every day?
Chrisk
If you could make an argument without attacking her looks or sexuality you wouldn’t look like such a bitchy queen.
radiooutmike
Didn’t Whitney herself say (in that Oprah interview) that her brother introduced her to cocaine? Or was her mother to Oprah?
cuteguy
Everyone, especially the LGBTQ community, have always known that the black community are (for the most part) homophobic. Of course white red neck hillbillies are all homophobic but it’s bewildering when black ppl did it bc they know what it feels like to be oppressed, yet they hid behind religion to justify their homophobia. Now this is not to say I don’t feel for our black lgbtq brothers and sisters but I cannot stand when the self righteous white lgbtq ppl try to play troll like nonsense on here and not acknowledge the homophobia that’s rampant in the black community without being labeled a racist