Model-actress Winnie Harlow (born Chantelle Whitney Brown-Young) may have garnered headlines and major attention for her over-the-top Halloween portrayal of her namesake, Pop icon Whitney Houston, but not everyone was cheering.
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Channeling the Pop diva’s time on stage at the 2001 BET Awards accepting the ceremony’s first ever Lifetime Achievement Award, Harlow donned a similarly styled wig and wardrobe ensemble reminiscent of Houston’s Roberto Cavalli-designed gown from the event.
Mimicking Whitney’s dancing and unforgettable shout-outs from the awkward award acceptance speech, Winnie seemingly had the occasion captured perfectly – much to the delight of some commenters.
Conversely, others expressed disappointment in the model’s Halloween costume of choice – even accusing her of mocking the ‘I Will Always Love You’ singer for a moment many consider a particular low point in the diva’s career given that it appeared she was under the influence of drugs at the time.
In response to the growing chatter, Winnie took to Instagram over the weekend to deny the accusations.
“Firstly, majority of the responses have been incredibly positive. I’ve loved seeing you guys love these Halloween looks,” she said to her 9.9 million followers on the platform. “My video wasn’t mocking Whitney; that clip has always been one of my favorite moments of hers. She was radiant, funny, confident, and captivating. She was being awarded. The way she moved across that stage with flair and swag? Iconic.”
Read her full statement below.
Houston’s 2001 BET Awards acceptance speech wasn’t the only moment from her life given a toast by Harlow for Halloween, however.
Look below to see her recreation of the ‘I Wanna Dance with Somebody‘ music video.
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Bleeding Twitter hearts. Yawn! She did a spot-on lip sync. Funny AND accurate!