Rosie O’Donnell is getting candid about her past relationship with the late Whitney Houston. Speaking with Andy Cohen on an episode of “Watch What Happens Live,” the former “The View” co-host said that she once tried to intervene when she believed Houston was headed down the wrong path and claimed she was met with a bit of resistance.
O’Donnell’s comments about Whitney Houston came around the same time talk show host Oprah received backlash from the public after claiming that the “I Will Always Love You” singer fell off her “Oprah” soundstage in the early 2000s due to being high on drugs.
“I’m the kind of friend that always tells a friend when I think they’re in trouble, which doesn’t always make the friendships last,” O’Donnell told the “Real Housewives” executive producer on a recent episode of “WWHL.”
As the conversation continued, O’Donnell said she became worried about Houston when the singer reportedly missed the screening of a “Cinderella” program she produced, which O’Donnell called “a big deal.”
“I remember thinking this is like the beginning of the end and somebody needs to help her now,” O’Donnell said. “Everybody gets lost in their life, and when you’re in the public eye, you get lost very nationally…but we can’t pretend we don’t see what we see.”
And while some were appreciative of O’Donnell’s care and concern, the media personality said that some members of her team told her to mind her own business. “As someone who cares about her and who loves her and wants her legacy to remain, I just wanted to let you know that this is doing her a disservice,” she said.
Fans Back O’Donnell For Attempting To Save Houston
Houston fans responded to O’Donnell’s statements, praising the 64-year-old for having her friend’s back when she needed it most.
“A real friend always tells the truth, even when that truth may be hard to hear,” someone wrote, while another said, “Rosie sounds like she is a truly nice, kind, caring person. Love her even more.”
Other users chimed in, posting, “She may not have always been super close to Whitney, but what she did was the mark of a TRUE friend. Love Whitney, love Rosie.”
A fourth wrote, “She was tearing up when talking about Whitney. Everyone deserves a friend like Rosie.”
Oprah Faces Backlash After Saying Whitney Houston Was On Drugs During 2009 Talk Show Appearance
According to a previous report from The Blast, Oprah recently received a strong rebuke from the public after she spoke about Houston and her alleged 2009 drug use during a Cannes Lions appearance.
“The first interview I did with her when we’d gone behind stage and I asked her about her intention, she was clean, but the day she came to my show then to perform in front of the audience, she was not, and she fell off of the stage,” the “Color Purple” actress claimed.
She went on to say that she then “begged” her studio audience to keep quiet about the situation, and another person claimed that the TV personality even threatened to fire her staff if the rumors got out.
One user on Instagram clapped back at Oprah, saying, “I feel like we could respect her memory better than talking about this publicly a decade plus after she passed,” while another user wrote, “Oh, wow, and you thought this was a perfect time to mention this?”
Whitney Houston’s Estate Fires Back At Oprah’s Claims, Saying The Singer Was ‘Not High’ During Her Appearance
Houston’s estate manager, Pat Houston, wasted no time firing back at Oprah, denying her claims that the singer fell due to being high on drugs.
While Houston’s estate confirmed that she did fall, they said her stumble was due to her unfamiliarity with the stage rather than her being intoxicated.
Before Houston’s sudden death in 2012, the singer dealt with addiction struggles, a fact her estate confirmed in their statement.
“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 read. “What the studio audience witnessed on stage was the result of discipline, talent, and commitment—not the assumptions others project.”
Houston’s Hairstylist Also Slammed Oprah For Allegedly Lying About Mishap
In addition to Houston’s estate, her personal hairstylist, Tiffanie Dixon, also defended the singer against claims that she was high during her appearance on the “Oprah” show.
“It’s not true. She fell because they did not rope off the stage… I was standing right there,” Dixon said.
She revealed that Oprah’s comments about her former client “disturbed” her, prompting her to tell the world that the renowned talk show host was allegedly lying. “There’s no truth and no validity… It’s a lie… She’s got a lot of nerve,” she added.
