Yesterday marked the 10 years anniversary of Whitney Houston’s tragic death. RIP.
Houston was an amazing talent, selling over 200 million records worldwide and racking up dozens of awards over her 30 year career. She also struggled with drugs and alcohol. And on February 11, 2012, she was found dead in her hotel room in the Beverly Hills hotel. The official cause of death was drowning due to coronary artery disease and cocaine intoxication.
In 2003, the legendary singer, whose struggles with addiction had become a constant topic of conversation in the tabloids, agreed to do a now-infamous phone interview with Wendy Williams on her radio show.
Williams often gossiped about Houston’s drug use, her seemingly erratic behavior, and her marriage to Bobby Brown. During the call, which lasted almost half an hour, Houston confronted Williams about this and scolded her for being “nosy.”
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At one point, Williams asked Houston, point blank, if she was on drugs “at this present time,” to which Houston replied by going off.
First, she told Williams she “doesn’t give a sh*t” about her before launching into a profanity-laden tirade that left the radio show host momentarily speechless.
“You are so f*cking nosy, man,” Houston said. “You don’t even know what I do. Like you say, you’ve never met me. You don’t know me. You haven’t been to my house. You don’t live with me. You don’t sleep with me. You don’t do sh*t with me but talk about me.”
Houston went on to tell Williams to “watch what the f*ck you say,” adding, “If I was really, like, back in the day in Newark, I’d meet you outside. I’d meet you outside! But I’m a lady, and I have class.”
Watch.
While you’re here, check out this clip of Houston’s longtime companion, author Robyn Crawford, sitting down with Williams in 2019 to promote her memoir A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston.
SamB
“Tragic death”? This woman had everything but gave it up for drugs. What a mess.
Bosch
How does that make it less tragic, super-villain Sam?
Den
Sam B has little understanding of anything beyond the surface of his own skin (thus no empathy), and not to much understanding of that is within that surface either. Like most of the right wing, things have to be very, very simple and totally lacking in complexity or nuance or they fly right over their heads.
storm45701
Yes, Sam, it IS tragic … Houston had one of the most beautiful, and powerful voices, and was destroyed by drugs and alcohol. Tragic that the world was robbed of such talent. Tragic that Houston couldn’t shake the addictions. Tragic that her family and friends ignored her spiral as long as the checks kept coming. Tragic that God takes people like Whitney while leaving nasty people like you around.
Cam
How interesting, the same account that rabidly defends anti-LGBT bigots who have been credibly accused of crimes, always attacks LGBTQ victims, Black people, Latinos, etc….
It’s so nice of you to let us know that you aren’t just anti-Queer, you’re also a white supremacist.
SamB
It’s not tragic because she did it to herself. She made her own choices, and you’re all acting like she was forced to take the drugs.
Bosch
Your lack of empathy correlates so well with all your political opinions.
SamB
Bosch: She made the choice knowing what the outcome would be. Who doesn’t realize that crack is addictive? She knew these drugs were highly addictive and ruin lives… cause death, but she decided it was a good idea for her to do them anyway. Her choices are stupid but that doesn’t make her tragic.
Bosch
It’s fine Sam, empathy is an ability that you either have or don’t have.
And you don’t have it.
SamB
Bosch: I see you’re still analyzing me. Because I have none for her = I don’t have any at all. You are very good. Almost spooky how you can understand me. Now why do you suppose I don’t have any, because I need to fix myself.
Bosch
Is not an analysis Sam. You tell us every day that you are unempathetic.
You don’t need to fix it. Be who you want.
lord.krath
A mess indeed. What makes this tragic is precisely what you said. She had it all. But I would ask: according to whom? I had a best friend that “had it all” and still took his life (albeit more directly). Clearly, they didn’t have it all. They were missing something that transcends material and fame.
The real tragedy is not appreciating how substance abuse (and all other forms of abuse) affect people.
If Whitney “had it all” Houston fought these demons and died for it, what about the countless nameless faceless folk that don’t have it all but still suffer the same fate?
I wish I could understand. Sometimes I think I do. But who am I kidding? Everyone has their own personal battle and we can’t know what everyone is going through much less understand it.
Jim
Wendy probably has dementia.
What was Whitney’s excuse?
tmball13
She married the wrong man, and listened to him. It was an incredible loss. The sadness was compounded by the fact that you had to look at it and realize that this woman with all the talent, acting ability, and beauty in the world could not see her own worth away from that charlatan. That’s a shame.
XannaDont
The trouble wasn’t that Whitney married the “wrong” man. It was that she married any man. From her music to her personal life, she was tightly controlled by Clive Davis and her mother. Famously, “Can I be me?” I so wish she could have been.
Myles1988
This site has it out for Wendy Williams. I love her and yet yes she is messy at least she is real unlike Ellen.
cuteguy
Why do you claim to “love” someone like Wendy who has proven she has no love for you thru her MANY homophobic comments throughout the years?! Get some help bc you obviously hate yourself and you only idolize this wretched woman bc she resembles a drag queen. No excuse for self hate Myles. Get therapy quick, preferably a therapist who likes a challenge
Pistolo
Wendy Williams spent a good part of that interview explaining she was a drug addict too which everyone seems to forget. If you’re a recovering addict or you have addiction in your family the answer is NEVER to play dumb or live in denial, you must call it out in some way. Diane Sawyer showing Whitney pictures of herself and asking all of these gentle questions, accepting her bizarre answers was confronting her with any reality that wasn’t 100% on Whitney’s terms. Wendy was just coming from a place of “I’m not going to pretend to be objective on this one, I think you’re an addict and you’re too good for this lifestyle”. She showered her with praise too. But c’mon, you cannot talk to someone like that and just pretend it’s dandy.
Thad
Wendy Williams is in the Radio Hall of Fame, you know. The Whitney interview was mentioned at her induction ceremony.
ScottOnEarth
Whitney was an incredible singer but she threw her entire, gifted life away for drugs. Wendy didn’t say anything the entire world wasn’t saying at the time.
Troyfight
@Scott… so true.
Den
She didn’t “throw her life away for drugs”. Addiction, be it to alcohol, drugs or any other form of self harm is a complex disease and not a simple volitional act. It cannot in any realistic sense be looked at as a completely volitional act, given that so many people use the same drugs she did and never suffer addiction or its consequences.
There is a great deal of one’s sense of self worth, personal history, genetic predisposition, mental health, and more involved. Were it simply a matter of “just saying no” there would be a hell of a lot fewer addicts and drug deaths. Nobody ever accuses the sufferer of being weak willed or lazy if they are victims of domestic violence and cannot manage to escape or if they have a predisposition towards high cholesterol and end up with heart disease. Fewer and fewer disparage those who suffer anorexia as if it were a simple choice. But for some reason the notion that one simply needs to “say no to drugs” and is weak if they cannot is still prevalent.
Doug
Let’s face it, Whitney’s reactions are far from classy. Kind of gives you a whole other perspective on what her personality was really like.
cuteguy
Why isn’t Wendy giving an interview now that the shoe is on the other foot? She can dish it but she can’t take it. Mess
Cam
Simple question, Whitney wanted the interview, Wendy doesn’t.
Cam
Considering that this was less than two years before Whitney’s mother got a court order forcing her into rehab, I’m guessing the reaction to Wendy’s question wasn’t because she was insulted, but becuase it hit the mark.
It’s a shame what happened to both people.
iminheatlikeacat
You know, consistently attacking a woman suffering from dementia is not a good look for this site
Andybequiet
Whitney Houston died in the Beverly Hilton not the Beverly Hills Hotel. If you or someone you love has a drug or alcohol problem, please don’t be discouraged by the callous comments to this article. The LGBTQI community is more loving and supportive than these monstrous people.. Love to Whitney and Wendy.
Ronbo
Andy, don’t be quiet. We need more people like you here … accurately representing the community. Look up at the comments and if you were new to the community or investigating, you’d walk away thinking the LGBTQ was all hate: Cam, Bosch, cuteguy, Den, etc….
Their comments – even when trying to represent good are full of hate and seem to create enemies of those who have only a slightly different opinion. I pray that those seeking to learn more about our community know that these repeat haters are a tiny, tiny fraction of the entire community.
Andy, I hope you can reach them before they become so isolated by their cancelling mentality, that they move beyond extremism into violence against themselves or others. Queerty used to be a safe place to discuss a range of opinions: today it seems locked and loaded with hate.
I truly expect the same people to hate read this and erupt without introspection, perspective or context. That’s a shame; it puts the community into a false light that doesn’t represent our love and acceptance.