PRIMETIME SPECIAL EDITION: WHITNEY HOUSTON (TV)
Summary
One in this news magazine series co-anchored by Sam Donaldson and Diane Sawyer. This program features Sawyer in conversation with singer Whitney Houston.
Sawyer joins Houston at her home in Atlanta and discusses such topics as her "scary-thin" appearance at the "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special" tribute concert in September 2001, to which Houston does not attribute either an eating disorder or drug use; her assertion that "crack is cheap" and therefore not her drug of choice; memories from her childhood of singing in her local church alongside her mother, singer Cissy Houston; how Arista Records mogul Clive Davis became "a controlling force" in her life; her first television performance on "The Merv Griffin Show" at age 19; why touring and performing is "not fun anymore" because of financial greed in the music industry; reports that she has cancelled many concerts and performances, including her scheduled appearance at Davis' induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame after he was "forced out" of Arista in 2000; her explanation that she was "fired" by longtime friend Burt Bacharach at the 2000 Academy Awards, where she was set to perform; how stress affects her eating habits, leading to her thin appearance; and her groundbreaking role in the interracial-romance film "The Bodyguard" (1992).
Sawyer then asks about her seemingly mismatched eleven-year marriage to "bad-boy" singer Bobby Brown, formerly of New Edition; rumors of his controlling and abusive nature, which Houston refutes; why Brown does not employ "Svengali tactics" with her, as Davis did; her statement that Brown is "sometimes" jealous of her career, which prompts Brown to join the interview to defend their marriage and deny ever abusing any woman; his legal troubles and his alcoholism; his explanation that he has used marijuana to help with his bipolar disorder after having little success with lithium; their duet on her new album "Just Whitney"; and Houston's confidence that their turbulent marriage is "forever."
Further topics discussed include her sense that her lack of a traditional childhood and early twenties because of her busy career has caused her to "party" more in later life; allegations of outlandish spending with drug dealers, for which she demands to "see the receipts"; her admission that she has dabbled in many kinds of drugs and considered herself to be her own "biggest devil"; why she considers her experiences a "bad habit" rather than an addiction; her mother Cissy's attempts to intervene in her hard-partying lifestyle; how her grief for 22-year-old R&B singer Aaliyah, killed in a plane crash in August 2001, affected her emotional state at the much-discussed Michael Jackson concert, for which she was "electronically fattened up" before the show's broadcast; why the dramatic headlines about her appearance "changed her mind" about her lifestyle and health; her belief that she is "on the right path" and is not self-destructive; her brothers' and cousin Dionne Warwick's experiences with drugs; and her strong religious beliefs and sense that prayer will assist her in her recovery.
Sawyer asks about her split with longtime producer Davis and her work with new Arista head L.A. Reid on "Just Whitney"; rumors about her possible romantic affair with longtime friend and assistant Robyn Crawford, who departed Houston's employ after much "competition" with Brown; and her reaction to her father John Houston's $100 million lawsuit, in which he alleges that he is owed compensation for assisting with her Arista contract and other legal matters, including her sense that another family member has "put fear in his heart."
Finally, Houston is joined by nine-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina Brown, who declares that she would like to pursue an artistic career like her parents'; and Houston explains that, in ten years' time, she would prefer to be retired and enjoying a relaxed family life with her husband and daughter. Includes commercials and promos.
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: December 4, 2002 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:00:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:74935
- GENRE: Talk/Interview
- SUBJECT HEADING: African-American Collection - News/Talk; Talk/Interview; Musicians
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1989-2012
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "25th Hour" motion picture
- TV - Commercials - "Just Whitney" music album
- TV - Commercials - AT&T wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - Allegra allergy medication
- TV - Commercials - Bank One credit cards
- TV - Commercials - Braun Oral-B 3D Excel toothbrushes
- TV - Commercials - Burlington Coat Factory stores
- TV - Commercials - Caress Shimmering body wash
- TV - Commercials - Chevrolet automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Elizabeth Taylor White Diamonds perfume
- TV - Commercials - Gap stores
- TV - Commercials - Glade Plug-In air fresheners
- TV - Commercials - Honda automobiles
- TV - Commercials - JCPenney stores
- TV - Commercials - Kay jewelers
- TV - Commercials - Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Kodak cameras and printers
- TV - Commercials - MasterCard credit cards
- TV - Commercials - McDonald's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Olive Garden restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Pier 1 Import stores
- TV - Commercials - Pizza Hut restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Pledge furniture polish
- TV - Commercials - Red Lobster restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Saab automobiles
- TV - Commercials - Sara Lee sandwiches
- TV - Commercials - Sears stores
- TV - Commercials - Sprint wireless networks
- TV - Commercials - T-Mobile wireless services
- TV - Commercials - Tropicana orange juice
- TV - Commercials - Verizon Wireless cellular services
- TV - Commercials - Visa credit cards
- TV - Promos - "8 Simple Rules...For Dating My Teenage Daughter"
- TV - Promos - "20/20"
- TV - Promos - "According to Jim"
- TV - Promos - "Alias"
- TV - Promos - "Extreme Makeover"
- TV - Promos - "Eyewitness News"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America"
- TV - Promos - "Less Than Perfect"
- TV - Promos - "Life With Bonnie"
- TV - Promos - "MDs"
- TV - Promos - "Primetime Thursday"
- TV - Promos - "The Practice"
CREDITS
- Diane Sawyer … Host
- Whitney Houston … Interviewee
- Bobby Brown … Interviewee
- Bobbi Kristina Brown … Interviewee
- Aaliyah
- Burt Bacharach
- Robyn Crawford
- Clive Davis
- Cissy Houston
- John Russell Houston Jr.
- New Edition
- L.A. Reid
- Dionne Warwick