Did Oprah Get the Story Wrong?
Whitney Houston’s former bodyguard is speaking out and pushing back on claims that the late superstar was under the influence when she fell during a 2009 appearance connected to The Oprah Winfrey Show.
Ray Watson, who was with Whitney at the time, told TMZ he was there when the incident happened and says Whitney was not high. According to Watson, the fall occurred during a soundcheck, not during the actual show, and he says it was simply an accident.
The comments come after Oprah Winfrey recently shared a story at the Cannes Lions Festival, saying Whitney had fallen off the stage and suggesting she had relapsed at the time. Oprah said she asked audience members not to release photos from the incident because she feared it would further damage Whitney’s reputation.
However, Whitney’s estate has strongly disputed that version of events. Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and the executor of her estate, says Whitney did fall, but it happened during a dark soundcheck as she was getting familiar with the stage.
Pat insists Whitney was not under the influence and says it’s unfair to connect every moment of Whitney’s life to her past struggles with addiction. As of now, Oprah has not publicly responded to the statements from Watson or Whitney’s estate.
