It’s no secret that the Houston family is not on board with Angela Bassett‘s cinematic ode to the romance of pop icon Whitney Houston and her R&B bad boy ex-husband Bobby Brown.
Coming in the form of the biopic ‘Whitney,‘ airing Saturday, January 17th at 8/7c on Lifetime, anticipation for the film is reaching feverish pitch as barely a day separates viewers from it. But, if you were looking to see if the sentiment was shared in the Houston household, you got your answer today when Whitney’s former manager/sister-in-law Pat Houston took to Facebook to slam the movie and the channel (despite it once being their own reality show’s network).
After pointing out its shambolic, Wendy Williams’-produced ‘Aaliyah: Princess of R&B’ film as evidence, the businesswoman went on to urge fans of Houston to boycott the film.
Read her fiery statement below:
“Statement from Pat Houston, President of The Whitney Houston Estate re Lifetime movie:
Why wasn’t there a call to myself, Gary, Cissy or even her daughter? Why deny selected members of the family an advanced copy of the film? ”
I say this to all Whitney’s family, friends and fan base: If you watch this movie, watch it knowing that Lifetime is notorious for making bad biopics of deceased celebrities and brace yourself for the worst. You should not be surprised that someone decided to do a made for TV biopic. And, I might add, without the family’s blessing and despite her mother’s request to not do this movie. It happens every day. But misrepresenting the term friendship to advance an agenda is not only disrespectful and dishonest but a slap in the face to her true and loyal friends. I question the morality of the making of this because of the lack of experience knowing Whitney’s life. Never would Whitney allow her story to be told by an inexperienced team and how naive of anyone to think otherwise, unless you’re caught up in illusions of grandeur that you can just do anything and people will accept it. This made for TV movie is certainly not a trailer to Whitney’s life story.”
Read the lengthy open letter here.
*****
This isn’t the first time a member of the family has openly slammed the film or its director Angela Bassett. Bobbi Kristina took to Twitter months ago, as seen here, when the Academy Award-nominated actress failed to consider her for the role of her mother.
Since news of the film broke Bassett has repeatedly told press members that she reached out to the family multiple times but was denied as they intend on following up with their own full length feature film detailing the singer’s life.
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Her family is greedy and this will only make more people watch.
Wow this is deep! Really don’t know what side to agree with! Her family denying movie because it’s on TV seems a bit much and also Lifetime doing the movie without Her MOTHERS CONSENT IS TOO MUCH! It’s all a MESS and it’s unfair WHITNEY ISNT HERE TO HAVE A VOICE IN THE MATTER! Would u want someone to do a movie on ur life without UR families involvement or consent?????
Good question: wouldn’t you want your family’s involvement in your own life story? Yes and no, no being because there are sides to us that we don’t reveal to family, but Pat Houston nailed it in the head when she said that Whitneys closest truiest loyalist friends didn’t even have involvement. So I would definitely want my true friends and fam involvement, those are the ones that have the right insight
Whose going to tweeting tomorrow?
Oh shut up sister; when you are famous this is what comes with it…. Deal and sat down some damn where! Angela is a professional, and will not make Whitney look bad @ all, it’s a celebration of a true iconic musical legend!
Good point, but this is a biographical story so having made your point you realize then you won’t be watching facts about someone’s life, you will be watching sensationalism….I mean how can you say “will not make Whitney look bad” …. To me that sounds like sugar coating reality of someone’s situation.
I’mma go further to say I bet Whitney had darker demons than Angela Bassett will even go into like some of those pesky tabloid stories we all heard about her: lesbianism, menaja trois in her marriage to please bobby, drugs and romance with bobbys sister, shooting heroin in the dark streets and alleys with addicts in the streets of Hollywood according to her limo driver and drugs salesman, etc…
I meant Angela Bassett *wont go into…..
All big musicians will probably have a bio pic. The fact that it comes with the territory is definitely true. I understand the frustration but it is what it is.
Okay….first, sadly ANYONE can make a Movie based on a celebrity life without their permission or the family permission…
From what I’ve been reading..the Reviews have been good SO FAR, besides when it came to the drug use or not remaking her death scene..but what bothers me is that her family..mainly Pat, at first didn’t want the movie because it was a MADE FOR TV movie..and they felt like Whitney Houston was more than that..but lets be real, Tv is the thing these day’s. Also I can’t see why they would want to boycott it when the family SIGN OFF to film a freakin messy ass reality show MONTHS after Whitney’s death..I can understand the family anger because Whitney was their family…their angel..A LEGEND. I just pray that the movie is done with taste and care..and from what ive seen from the Reviews it was.
I think the family was taken advantage of in their time of grief when they did the reality show, so I say forgive them for that, and after forgiving them I would stay weigh n that the family has the most credibility
And what everyone seems to forget..this isn’t officially a BIOPIC…its the Love story about Whitney…and Bobby..
They dont need close friends or family, all they needed was performances & interviews.I wouldn’t be suprised if Bobby gave info because it is about him & he did a interview which will air AFTER the movie.
AS LONG AS THE SHT IS NO WERE NEAR AS BAD AND TRAUMATIZING AS THAT HORRIBLE AALIYAH MOVIE..im good.
It should be called “Whitney & Bobby” then since it’s really about them. Not Just “Whitney.” And I agree, Bobby was involved on the low. This movie will make him look like a saint and Whitney the devil smh.
Where were they during her last minutes? Enough said. They all need several arenas to sit in.
What’s sad is all “Whitney Houston” Fans/Friends will view the movie in the Eyes of damn this couldn’t be Whitney Houston especially “The Voice”
Can someone please make Lifetime stop, I don’t wanna hear a damn word from William on this, especially considering how bad the Aaliyah one was (so I’ve heard, I didn’t watch it).
Honestly, it’s just a made for TV movie. It won’t hurt a thing. That Aaliyah movie did nothing but showed how much the public still care about her. There been tones of these in the 90s about people in the past. It’s nothing new, just don’t tune in if you’re against it.
Well Pat!!!
You more than anyone has disgraced the Houston family name with that show, so judgement should not be coming from you. I highly doubt that Angela would not reach out to the family, when it’s her reputation on the line. What I do like that interests me is that she only chose a certain time period of Whitneys life rather than a whole life story, which actually leaves an open door to still do a FULL length cinematic movie in the future.
Not expecting much but hope has that right essence of Nippy
I won’t be watching this film, simply because it’s things about her life that only her Friends and family would know. They just guessing and filling in the missing pieces perhaps from Bobby Brown.. It’s tragic.
I’m sure the bigwigs at Lifetime are thanking Pat right now…..
#allpublicityisgoodpublicity
Aaliyah stans acted like that biopic was a nuclear bomb of evil because the family didn’t approve.
Who cares? Whitney was being paid millions to be an entertainer so I don’t care what her family thinks. I am not going to the cinema to see a Whitney biopic. I’m excited to see Ms Angela’s work.
Thing is if her family had input they wouldn’t want us to know s*** they wouldn’t wanted anything bad put in . They would want to paint Whitney as a saint and well we know she wasnt
I Love me some Nippy, I will watch this just to see miss bassets work. Lifetime should just be ended & I want real movie biopics. I haven’t even seen aaliyah’s yet! I’m not really interested.
Lol did bobby Christina write this press release on the low?
“Illusions of grandeur” I almost did a spit take with my orange juice.
Delusions my friend, delusions.
question these loyal friends the fam is yellin bout these are the same ones that were by her side in the hotel that night??
I won’t watch since the family is against it I think its disrespectful.
I think she made herself look bad enough when she was alive. It don’t take a genius to see she was out of control at some points in her life but so is everybody else. Hers was just put on blast because of her fame. God help us all if my life store were ever to be told on television. Lol