Rosie O’Donnell: Whitney Houston was part of a secret group of famous lesbians
Rosie O’Donnell has said she knew of Whitney Houston’s secret same-sex relationship.
Speaking to Andy Cohen on his Bravo talkshow, Watch What Happens Live, Rosie claimed the singer was part of a secret group of famous lesbians.
Rosie claims she knew Whitney and her personal assistant Robyn Crawford were a couple.
“I knew that they were together,” she said.
“I was friends with a lot of very athletic older lesbian women who were in the WNBA – all these basketball playing women.
“I knew that, I knew it for a very long time. Everyone sort of knew it.
“So I thought it was very surprising when Clive Davis came out and said he never discussed her being gay.
“I don’t believe that for one minute.”
Rumours of the I Will Always Love You singer’s sexuality have circulated for decades.
An explosive docu-film Whitney: Can I Be Me also claimed Whitney was dating childhood pal and assistant Robyn.
According to friends the singer was bisexual, but not out to the public.
The film revealed never before seen backstage footage of the superstar – shedding new light on decades of rumours about her sexuality.
The couple first met in 1979 as teenagers at a community centre in East Orange, New Jersey.
“Robyn and Whitney were like twins,” security personnel Kevin Ammons tell Broomfield.
“They were inseparable. They had a bond and Bobby Brown could never remove Robyn. He wanted to be the man in the relationship.”
“I don’t think she was gay, I think she was bisexual,” stylist Ellin Lavar reveals in the movie.
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“Robyn provided a safe place for her … in that Whitney found safety and solace.”
Whitney Houston’s former husband has corroborated reports that his ex-wife had a love affair with her longtime assistant.
He also claimed that if Houston had stayed with Robyn Crawford, she might never have died.
“I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney’s life, Whitney would still be alive today,” Brown told Us Weekly.
“She didn’t have close friends with her anymore.”
Brown told the magazine that Houston had been bisexual.
“I know,” Brown said of the relationship.
“We were married for 14 years. There are some things we talked about that were personal to us.”
The singer repeatedly denied rumours she was in a relationship with her close companion, however.
Following her daughter’s death, Houston’s mother revealed to Oprah Winfrey that had her daughter been gay, she would “absolutely” have had a problem with it.
During the interview, Oprah read the section of the book where Cissy Houston wrote: “I knew I didn’t want Robyn near my daughter and I told Nippy [the family’s pet name for Whitney] that.
Questioned by Oprah, Cissy Houston admitted she “didn’t really like” Crawford, saying she spoke “disrespectful”.
When Oprah asked if she would have been “bothered” if her daughter was a lesbian, she replied: “Absolutely.”
