Whitney Houston’s estate has dismissed Oprah Winfrey’s claims that the singer was under the influence of drugs when she fell off the stage during an appearance on Winfrey’s talk show, describing the allegations as “inaccurate and unfair.”
Speaking at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in France on Tuesday, Oprah Winfrey claimed that Whitney Houston had relapsed and was “back on drugs” during the singer’s two-part appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2009. During the interview, Houston discussed her recovery following years of substance abuse and two stints in rehabilitation.
Winfrey recalled that Houston “fell off the stage” during the appearance and said she later appealed to audience members not to share photographs of the incident in order to protect the singer’s privacy.
In a statement on Wednesday night, the Houston estate confirmed the singer “absolutely fell from the stage”, but denied she was under the influence of drugs.
"From the 2009 interview on the Oprah Winfrey show, Whitney absolutely fell off stage, but it was during a sound check and it was due to the darkness of the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage. She was absolutely not high," the statement said.
"This story was picked up by several media outlets. Like many people, she faced personal battles, but it is inaccurate and unfair to attach that struggle to every performance or every chapter of her life," the statement noted.
"What the studio audience witnessed on stage was the result of discipline, talent, and commitment not the assumptions others project."
"Whitney’s humanity included triumphs and struggles, but on that day, she showed up as the professional and gifted artist she always worked to be. We owe her the dignity of telling the truth not repeating myths," the statement further added.
