Alerts & Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

‘Whitney’ Trailer: Bobby Brown & Cissy Houston Answer Tough Questions About the Legend

"Marley" director Kevin Macdonald's Whitney Houston documentary premieres at a Cannes Midnight Screening.
Whitney Houston
"Whitney"
Roadside Attractions

The face, the smile, the voice: Whitney Houston was an American treasure who ended in American tragedy. A new documentary by Kevin Macdonald promises to ask hard questions of those who knew her best, but we will have to wait and see how balanced “Whitney” will be. Access has its advantages, however, and the film description teases never-before-seen archival footage, exclusive demo recordings, and rare performances from the iconic diva.

A new trailer includes sit-down interviews with Houston’s controversial ex-husband Bobby Brown, soul singer mother Cissy Houston, as well as many other friends and family. The subject of Houston’s former best friend and rumored lover Robyn Crawford does come up, although Crawford does not appear to be involved in the film. An earlier film, “Whitney. Can I Be Me,” released in 2017, strongly suggested Crawford and Houston were in love.

With the family’s blessing, “Whitney” may not delve too deeply into Houston’s sexuality, but that doesn’t mean it’s playing it safe. One choice clip shows Houston throwing shade at another pop star of her time. “Paula Abdul ain’t shit. That girl is singing off key on the record,” she says, reclining in a white bath robe.

Roadside Attractions will release “Whitney” in theaters on July 6. Check out the trailer below.

Editor’s note: A previous version of this article stated that Whitney Houston‘s parents were executive producers on this film, which they are not. 

Daily Headlines
Daily Headlines covering Film, TV and more.

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy. We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Must Read
PMC Logo
IndieWire is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 IndieWire Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.