Robyn Crawford’s personal memoir A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston opens up about her relationship with Whitney Houston that started in 1980 when Crawford was 19 and Houston was 17. They were both counselors at a summer camp in New Jersey.
What We Know:
- Since the moment they met, Crawford vowed to look out for Houston and that’s what she did for two decades when Houston became a global superstar.
- Although Crawford claims they wanted to be together, Houston ended the physical part of their relationship early on after signing a record deal. She broke the news by giving Crawford a bible, saying “we shouldn’t be physical anymore, because it would make our journey even more difficult”. Houston also said, “if people find out about us, they would use this against us”.
- Houston’s family was also pressuring her including her mother, Gospel singer Cissy Houston. Houston said her mother didn’t approve of the relationship and that “it’s not natural for two women to be close”. Their closeness caused rumors to speculate about Houston’s sexuality.
- Crawford also writes that the connection was just one part of her relationship with Houston. Crawford says, “Whitney knows I loved her and I know she loved me. We really meant everything to each other. We vowed to stand by each other”.
- There have been numerous retellings of Houston’s life from The Bobby Brown Story to her most recent documentary, Whitney. Crawford hopes this book shows who Houston really was. “I wanted to lift her legacy, give her respect and share the story of who she was before the fame, and in that, to embrace our friendship,” Crawford says.
Crawford now lives with her partner talent agency executive Lisa Hintlemann and their two adoptive children.