The Cannes premiere of the new documentary about the life of the late Whitney Houston, “Whitney” reveals the singer was molested by her cousin, Dee Dee Warwick who was the sister of Dionne Warwick. Dee Dee who was also singer died in 2008. A friend of the singer assumes the molestation made Houston question her own sexuality and contributed to her drug problems. Houston died at the age of 48 in 2012. The movie will be available for general release in July at theaters.
Editor’s Note: While we as a community LOVE to do this, we cannot use dimestore psychology to summarize someone’s sexuality or psychological state of mind when we have not experienced what they have experienced. The old saying ‘if you want to live a man (or woman’s) life you have to walk a mile in their shoes’ applies here too. We just don’t know what or how someone feels unless we ask them and even then we may not get the best answer. Saying that a molestation is the sole reason for someone being ‘confused’ about their sexuality is dimestore psychology and a guess at best. This is absolutely not to water down the horrific act or possible long-term effects of being molested but we cannot assess the situation by ignoring Whitney’s frustration about her sexuality (not her sexuality itself) to a very controlling, jealous and homophobic mother, the homophobic black church that Houston grew up in, the black community’s extreme homophobia during her childhood (which still persists today) and the other things she may have witnessed as a child such as the severe bullying of gay black kids where she went to school. At best it is the culmination of ALL these things that can make someone frustrated, feel less than or challenge their well being.
