- Whitney Houston addressed concerns about her weight during an interview with Diane Sawyer, denying rumors of both sickness and drug use.
- Houston revealed her fears and insecurities while filming "The Bodyguard," but was encouraged by her then-husband Bobby Brown and co-star Kevin Costner to continue.
- Sawyer mentioned Houston's mixed reception at the Soul Train Music Awards, where she faced boos from the audience, leading Houston to speak out about criticism of her singing style.
Whitney Houston is known as one of the greatest singers in popular music. She released her first album in 1985 and dominated the charts. She moved into acting in 1992 when she starred in The Bodyguard. Her career was taken to new heights when her cover of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" became one of the most successful singles of all time.
However, Houston's personal life would begin to dominate the headlines as much as her songs dominated the charts. From her marriage to Bobby Brown to her weight to her drug use, Houston was being discussed for all the wrong reasons.
In an attempt to straighten things out, Houston sat down with Diane Sawyer for ABC's Primetime in 2002. The interview was very revealing and now lives on in infamy. However, there was one particular question Houston refused to answer.
Diane Asked Whitney About Her Weight At Michael Jackson's Tribute Concert
In 2002, Houston sat down with Sawyer for an interview to promote her latest album "Just Whitney." However, the interview was centered around more serious subjects that dominated headlines regarding the singer.
Chief among them was Houston's appearance at Michael Jackson's 30th anniversary tribute concert the year prior. Houston came out on stage and sang a portion of Jackson's "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" with Usher and Mýa.
But it wasn't her singing that made headlines the following day, it was her weight. Many felt Houston was too thin and there was a lot of speculation regarding the reason. Houston's drug use was rumored to be a major factor.
At the start of her interview with Sawyer, Houston was asked about the weight issue.
"I'm not sick, Diane," Houston said. "I am not sick. Let's get that straight. I'm not sick. Okay? I've always been a thin girl. I'm not going to be fat, ever. Let's get that straight. Whitney is not going to be fat, ever. Okay?"
Sawyer asked her if she dealt with an eating disorder, which Houston denied. She also denied her weight loss was because of drugs, but rather "emotional stress."
"I'm the kind of person, if I have a day that is nerve-wracking, or my week has been bad or something's going down, I won't eat," Houston explained. "Some people eat, I don't eat. And it shows in my physical frame."
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When Houston returned to the late night show, the host wondered why it took her so long to come back.Sawyer then asked Houston, "Can I ask you how much you weigh now?
"Sure," Houston said.
"How much do you weigh now?" Sawyer asked.
"I ain't telling you!" Houston replied.
"I think I just got sucker-punched," Sawyer joked.
Whitney Told Diane She Was 'Terribly Frightened' When Filming 'The Bodyguard'
When Houston began working on The Bodyguard, her insecurities were apparent to co-star Kevin Costner. "The Whitney I knew, despite her success and worldwide fame, still wondered: Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me?" Costner recalled at Houston's funeral in 2012.
During her interview with Diane Sawyer, Houston said that she was "terribly frightened" while filming the movie and told her then-husband Bobby Brown that she would quit. She said that she would wake up in the morning and say, "I can't do this. This is too much for me."
According to Houston, it was Brown who encouraged her to stick with the project.
Houston would later tell Sawyer of Costner's reassuring words while they were working on the film. "I said 'Why me?' He said "Because you're the only one who can sing.'"
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Eddie Murphy and Whitney Houston had a close relationship behind the scenes.Costner added more words of encouragement when speaking at Houston's funeral twenty years after the film's release. "You weren’t just pretty. You were as beautiful as a woman could be," Costner said.
"Whitney, if you could hear me now, I would tell you: You weren’t just good enough. You were great. You sang the whole damn song without a band," he added.
Diane Mentioned Whitney Getting Booed At The Soul Train Music Awards
Another controversial moment that Sawyer mentioned in the Primetime special was Houston's poor reception at the Soul Train Music Awards in the 1980s.
In 1988, Houston was nominated in two categories at the Soul Train Music Awards. She won the Best Female Album of the Year award for "Whitney." However, she didn't win the Best Music Video award for "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)." That award went to Janet Jackson for "Control." Jackson even beat out her brother Michael, who was nominated for "The Way You Make Me Feel."
As both Jacksons' names were read during the nominations, the audience erupted in screams and applause. However, when Houston's name was read, the applause was mixed with several boos from the crowd. A year later in 1989, Houston was nominated again. She was nominated for Best Female R&B/Urban Contemporary Single for her hit "Where Do Broken Hearts Go."
This time, as Houston's name was read, the boos were even louder.
Despite Not Even Winning, Whitney Houston's Nomination In The Category Alone Received Loud Boos From The Audience
Whitney Houston experienced a less-then-welcoming reception at the Soul Train Music Awards.In 1991, Houston appeared on The Arsenio Hall Show and spoke about the controversy.
"I got a lot of flak about 'I sing too white.' I think that maybe that’s where it comes from," she said. "I grew up on Soul Train just like every other Black kid, you know? I do sing the way God intended for me to sing and I’m using what He gave me and I’m using it to the best of my ability."
