Whitney Houston’s Mom Slams ‘Shocking’ Claims of Singer’s Childhood Molestation

Published: Wednesday 11th Jul 2018 by Rashad

As the commercial and critical acclaim continues to roll in for the first ever authorized documentary about the rise and fall of music’s most spectacular voice, the late Whitney Houston, her family – namely her mother/singer Cissy Houston – continues to grapple with some of the revelations made in the flick.

In addition to addressing the pop icon’s introduction and consequent addiction to drugs, believed battles with her sexuality, and more, one of the most shocking reveals of the film was her alleged childhood molestation by cousin/singer Dee Dee Warwick.  Cissy reportedly did not find out about the allegations until she saw the film’s final product.

With fans still reeling from the alarming news, the 84-year-old has joined her famous niece, Dionne Warwick, and taken to press to address the hoopla and refute a number of the claims made in the film.  Read their lengthy statement in full inside:

 

Cissy Houston and Dionne Warwick’s full statement:

My niece Dionne Warwick and I make this statement to raise our voices above the din surrounding the release of the film, ‘Whitney.’ Although the film is marketed as a Houston Family approved/endorsed project, neither my son, Michael, Dionne nor I knew of the allegations of abuse, the direction the film would take, until two days before the screening at Cannes.

To begin we want to state clearly that the horror of what victims of sexual abuse experience is unimaginable. We make no attempt to minimize the pain, the trauma and perhaps lifelong damage to the psyche of abuse victims. We understand and acknowledge that there are no rules governing a person’s reaction to trauma and every person reacts differently. By this statement we do not intend to defend, condone or excuse the crime of molestation.

 

We cannot, however, overstate the shock and horror we feel and the difficulty we have believing that my niece Dee Dee Warwick (Dionne’s sister) molested two of my three children.

I’ve been told—as justification for the invasive theme of this film—that Whitney was a public person and therefore the public has a right to know any and everything about her. I say, NO, she was a famous person … a singer, an actress, a quiet but generous philanthropist. She wasn’t running for office, asking for money or trying to win the right to run anyone’s life. Her job does not entitle the “public” to know every intimate detail of her life beyond what she herself revealed during her lifetime. Although she spoke about her struggle with drugs, the interventions, her daughter Krissi and issues in her marriage, she never PUBLICLY spoke about her father’s stealing from her or revealed any claim that she had been molested. IF she was molested I do not believe she would have wanted it to be revealed for the first time to thousands, maybe millions of people in a film.

I know the woman who was identified as Whitney’s “close confidante”. If she was my daughter’s “close confidante” it would seem she chose to betray Whitney’s confidence by publicizing rumors and hearsay. In any case Dionne, Michael and I do not know her the way we knew and loved Dee Dee Warwick. Dee Dee may have had her personal challenges but the idea that she would have molested my children is overwhelming and for us unfathomable. We cannot reconcile the Public’s need to know about Whitney’s life as justification for invasion of her privacy or the charge against Dee Dee, a charge which neither Whitney nor Dee Dee is here to deny, refute or affirm. Neither I, Dionne, nor my son Michael who was very close to his sister, and in the film is VERY candid about their drug use, has ever heard these allegations; we have never heard anything remotely connected to the crimes charged against Dee Dee in the film. How can that be fair to my daughter, to Dee Dee, or to our family?

I spent many years in recording studios (sometimes with Dionne and/or Dee Dee) where I earned my living. I also went “on the road” with my group The Sweet Inspirations to try to help provide a good life for my family BUT my children always came first in my heart and in my life. When I was away they did not stay with four or five different families; they stayed at home where their longtime babysitter, Phyllis, or my dear friend Bae or their father took care of them. In all the years I traveled Dee Dee, who was 21 years older than Whitney, NEVER BABYSAT for them.

Dionne’s mom, my oldest sister Lee, was there for me after my mother died when I was eight years old, and during some of the darkest times of my young life. Lee died several years ago and although I miss her every day I am comforted by the knowledge that she is not here to live this experience

How I wish I could ask Dee Dee and Nippy what happened, but this film distinguishes itself from the other films about her by spreading rumor, innuendo and hearsay; leaving questions to which I’ll never have the answers.

Dionne and I are part of a family whose members have always worked hard for themselves and their children to be successful. The goal of most parents is to help their children achieve more than they did. The film treats my family’s aspirations with the heavy handedness of people who are viewing an African American family through a lens lacking in cultural sensibilities. Like most parents we gave our children names we liked … Gary Joseph, Michael Blair and our longed-for baby girl, Whitney Elizabeth, not for any other reason. We did not name our daughter because it was the name of a character in a “WHITE SITCOM” or because we were striving to be considered middle class as alleged in the film. I loved the name Whitney and Elizabeth was her grandmother’s name.

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  1. eric July 11, 2018

    “While the filmmakers certainly had the legal right to make this film, I wonder at the moral right.” Pat’s involvement as executive producer should’ve been enough warning that this would not be a film built on moral principle.

  2. Badjly July 12, 2018

    She’s making it very clear how Whitney could be molested and have no idea how it happened, she’s a negligent mother who is in denial and I’m not judging but Whitney wasn’t a good mother because Chrissy wasn’t one to her, they say bobbikristina didn’t have a chance? Whitney didn’t have a Chance. Parents should protect their children.

    • iamme July 12, 2018

      I absolutely agree to this!

    • China July 12, 2018

      Saw the movie. Cissy is defending this because it PAINTS HER AS A BAD MOTHER. While Whitney and her brother was being Molested, Cissy was Traveling all over the world as a Background singer AND CHEATING ON HER HUSBAND. The movie is intense but Excellent.

  3. China July 12, 2018

    Again, if DEE DEE molested whitney WHY DO BLACK PEOPLE ALWAYS WANT TO SWEEP IT UNDER THE RUG. STOP TOUCHING CHILDREN AND FAMILY HIDING IT. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

  4. iamme July 12, 2018

    My issue is if you don’t know, DO NOT DEFEND.

  5. Keith July 12, 2018

    I saw the film. Excellent but sad movie. We all makr mistakes….

  6. SMH July 12, 2018

    I agree with Cissy when she says the public feels like they have the right to know any and everything about celebrities’ lives just because they’re celebrities. They do NOT. Celebrities don’t owe the public anything but their craft, and that’s it.

  7. Yolanda July 12, 2018

    Cissy and Dionne could’ve brought out this statement BEFORE the movie hit the theatre. Instead, they waited to capitalize. It is clear that Whitney wasn’t loved in life or death. Even Bobby Brown’s recent statement says Whitney died of a broken heart. Don’t support this movie. The Whitney Houston Estate is Pat Houston.

    • DanYiel Iman July 13, 2018

      My thoughts EXACTLY!!

  8. BaddieVix July 12, 2018

    You know what, I don’t agree with this at all!

    I was molested at the age of 4 by one of my father’s so called friends. Til this day, I have only told my closest friends and not my family because it’s too much to deal with. I say this to say Whitney may have been molested and only confided in those who she felt close with…

    Cissy wasn’t there, so she doesn’t know what was going on….

  9. HOWYOULIKEIT July 12, 2018

    Where can I see the movie? It looks interesting

  10. DanYiel Iman July 13, 2018

    I’m with the mother, he brothers wife will do anything to get any funds off of Whitney’s NAME!!

  11. JOHNVIDAL July 13, 2018

    The director of the film has an excellent reputation at getting to to core of things. He didn´t even like Whitney as a singer so he came into this being impartial. I have no doubt the molesting is true. It´s been a shocker yes, but it is obviously true. I have always said it I think her friend Robyn or Clive Davis were more positive influences to Whitney than her own family. Their track record is terrible.

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