Whitney Houston's Relationship With Robyn Crawford Was More Complicated Than It Appeared

Highlights

  • The biopic 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody' reveals the hidden romantic relationship between Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford.
  • Robyn Crawford's memoir confirms their romantic involvement.
  • Whitney Houston's circle of relatives had mixed emotions about her relationship with Crawford.

Since Whitney Houston tragically passed away in 2012, her amazing lifestyles tale and contributions to the music trade were shared more than one times. The 2022 movie I Wanna Dance with Somebody offered a new perspective on the singer's life, and uncovered secrets that even for probably the most dedicated lovers didn't know.

Diving into Whitney's tale, the movie revealed the truth about her strong connection with Robyn Crawford, a part of her lifestyles she kept private. The film showed a first-ever have a look at the intimate relationship between Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford.

The movie portrayed Robyn Crawford as Whitney Houston's hidden romantic pastime which shocked even some of Whitney's die-hard lovers. Here is the whole lot to find out about Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford’s relationship...

Who Is Robyn Crawford And What Was Her Relationship With Whitney Houston?

Whitney Houston had no one closer to her middle than Robyn Crawford. From the introduction of the tune icon with her debut album in 1985, Crawford was proper there by way of Houston's facet, not just as an assistant but as her dearest buddy.

Over the following twenty years, their bond was the topic of many tabloid headlines. Some puzzled if their connection was deeper than friendship, but Houston all the time disregarded any romantic speculations all through interviews.

Related: Whitney Houston Revealed Why She Hadn't Appeared On David Letterman's Late Show In 13 Years

After Houston's passing in 2012, the rumors nonetheless endured, even discovering a place in documentaries like Whitney: Can I Be Me in 2017. But Crawford remained silent, holding away from these discussions to appreciate Whitney's legacy.

It wasn't until her personal 2019 memoir titled A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, that she gave her personal account of their relationship, confirming their romantic involvement with every other.

Their love story takes center stage in the biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody, that includes Naomi Ackie as Whitney Houston and Nafessa Williams as Robyn Crawford. Talking about her function as Crawford, Williams, who hasn't met her in individual, shared with GLAAD, "I really approached this carefully and I want [her] to know that I just wanted to represent her in the best light."

Robyn Crawford's 2019 memoir delves into their emotional and physical connection, revealing that their intimacy went beyond the surface. "You could tell Whitney and I were tight," Crawford expressed, "It wasn't all about our sleeping together."

She went on: "We could be vulnerable. We could be genuine without hiding anything. We could entrust each other with our innermost secrets, our emotions, and our true selves. We were companions. We were partners. We meant the world to one another."

However, despite their desire to be in combination, Houston made up our minds to end the physical side in their relationship early on, shortly after she signed a file deal with Clive Davis at Arista.

"She told me we should stop being physical," Crawford recounted, "because it would complicate our journey even further ... She said that if people found out about us, they would use it against us. And in the '80s, that's exactly how it felt."

When Did Whitney Houston And Robyn Crawford First Meet?

Back in 1980, a distinct connection shaped between Whitney Houston and Robyn Crawford at a summer camp in East Orange, New Jersey. Houston was 16 years previous on the time and Crawford was 19. The pair remained close since their preliminary meeting as youngsters and maintained a cast relationship that lasted many years. They went from being skilled coworkers to the most efficient of friends, and even having a romantic relationship in step with Crawford.

Crawford shared how it all began that very first summer, she claimed that the pairs' relationship was of a romantic and intimate method. But after two years, Whitney Houston made a difficult call, opting to place an end to their relationship due to same-sex relationships now not being as approved within the Eighties.

Related: Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella Originally Saw Whitney Houston As The Titular Character

Houston had simply sealed a record deal, and the thought of receiving hate for her sexuality is suggested to be the principle reason for her restraint. Crawford revealed, "She told me that if our secret got out, it could be turned against us. That's how it felt back in those '80s days."

Nonetheless, their bond remained unbreakable over the following 22 years. Crawford remained an in depth and cast figure in Whitney's lifestyles, from her proper hand to creative director or even co-manager of Nippy Inc., Houston’s company.

Crawford even had the respect of being maid of honor when Houston wed Bobby Brown. Their remarkable 22-year connection that stood the test of time.

Whitney Houston's Family Did Not Accept Her Close Relationship With Robyn Crawford

The 2019 documentary titled Whitney Houston explored the complex relationship between Houston's family and Crawford, uncovering hints of animosity toward Robyn Crawford that was implied to were a mix of homophobia, envy, or possibly each.

In the movie, Houston's older brother Gary wasn't mincing phrases: "Robyn was just a nobody, an opportunist," he mentioned firmly. Responding to claims that his circle of relatives aimed to stay Crawford away from Houston, Gary defined, "I never actually witnessed any such thing, but I was sure she was someone I didn't want my sister to be involved with."

Related: Whitney Houston Might Have Been More Involved With Disney Than Fans Realized

Adding to this, Crawford unveiled in her memoir that Houston's mom, the gospel singer Cissy Houston put pressure on their relationship. "Whitney told me her mom believed that two women being that close wasn't natural," Crawford recounted, "but our bond was that strong."

Despite the circle of relatives dynamics, there were those inside Houston's circle who backed their connection, particularly her steadfast agent Nicole David, who regarded as Crawford an asset. "In my role as an agent, I'd approach Robyn, and she'd contribute to meetings," shared David about Crawford, who also performed the position of the singer's ingenious director for a very long time.

As Houston attempted to change her relationship with Crawford, the romantic aspects decreased and the pair as an alternative maintained a close friendship.

Kevin Macdonald, the director of the Whitney documentary, highlighted, "By the time Whitney was becoming a sensation in the mid-'80s, their bond had already transformed into an incredibly close friendship."

In addition to being Houston's ingenious director, assistant, and shut pal, Crawford performed a pivotal professional position. Yet, in spite of their promise to face by way of each and every different, Crawford made the difficult resolution to step away from Houston in 2000. She discovered she couldn't shield Houston from her escalating combat with drug dependancy and tumultuous marriage to Bobby Brown.

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