New Documentary Claims That Whitney Houston Was Bisexual

Whitney Houston at the Songwriters Hall of Fame on June 14, 2001 (Photo by Scott Gries/Getty)

A new documentary has made the shocking claim that late pop singer Whitney Houston was in fact bisexual.

The documentary, titled Whitney: Can I Be Me, alleges that the singer had a romantic relationship with her personal assistant, Robyn Crawford. The two met as teenagers in New Jersey in 1979, and reportedly remained close until Houston’s death in 2012.

Furthermore, the documentary claims that Crawford and Houston’s husband, R&B singer Bobby Brown, got into a physical altercation while backstage during Houston’s 1999 world tour. “I think Robyn was probably the only person at least I met who completely understood Whitney, and what Whitney was all about” says co-director Rudi Dolezal, “And I think that Whitney trusted Robyn 100 percent.” Houston’s stylist, Ellin Lavar, also discussed their relationship, revealing that “Robyn provided a safe place for her… in that Whitney found safety and solace.” Watch a Q&A for the documentary below.

Needless to say, these rumors have sent shockwaves through the music industry. While many are still skeptical, and feel the bisexual angle was exploited to draw attention to the documentary, it is not the first time these allegations have surfaced. Houston’s relationship with Crawford has been brought into question for many years now, and, in a 2013 interview with Houston’s mother, Cissy, Oprah Winfrey even asked if she thought the allegations were true. Cissy response was a plainspoken “I don’t know.” Watch the interview here.

In an interview with Radar Online, Robyn’s father Dennis Crawford supported the allegations and claimed that he had been aware of the affair since day one. “I knew 40 years ago, we all knew,” he says, “When she [Robyn] told me, there was nothing I could do about it except love her.” Crawford added that Houston’s mother was also in the know, saying “She knew about the relationship with my daughter 25 years ago. Why she would deny it, you have to ask her.”

Whitney: Can I Be Me premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 24th. Watch a clip below.