Whitney Houston's estate has strongly denied Oprah Winfrey's assertion that the late singer was under the influence of drugs when she fell off the stage during a 2009 appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. In a statement released Wednesday night, the estate called Winfrey's claims "inaccurate and unfair."
Oprah's Claims at Cannes Lions
Speaking at the Cannes Lions conference in France on Tuesday, Winfrey recounted the incident, claiming Houston was "back on drugs" during the two-part interview, where she discussed being clean after years of substance abuse and two stints in rehab. Winfrey said Houston fell off the stage and that she later begged the audience not to share photos to protect the singer. "I knew that if that story got out ... she would be destroyed by that," Winfrey said, adding that the audience complied, a scenario she noted would not happen today.
Estate's Response
The Houston estate confirmed the fall but provided a different explanation. "It was during a sound check and it was due to the darkness of the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage," the statement read. "She was absolutely not high." The estate acknowledged Houston's personal struggles but emphasized that it is unfair to attribute every incident to drug use. "What the studio audience witnessed on stage was the result of discipline, talent, and commitment not the assumptions others project," the statement continued. "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."
Houston's Legacy and Death
Whitney Houston, one of the best-selling artists of all time with over 170 million albums sold, won six Grammys and two Emmys. Her hits include "I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me)," "Saving All My Love For You," and "I Will Always Love You." She died at age 48 in 2012 from accidental drowning in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton hotel, with the autopsy revealing cocaine use and heart disease as contributing factors. Winfrey has not commented on the estate's statement.
