WHITNEY HOUSTON ESTATE DISPUTES OPRAH'S CLAIM SINGER WAS ON DRUGS

The estate of Whitney Houston has rejected claims by Oprah Winfrey that the singer was under the influence of drugs when she fell from the stage during a 2009 appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Winfrey stated on Tuesday at the Cannes Lions conference in France that Houston was "back on drugs" during her two-part appearance on the programme, in which Houston discussed her sobriety following years of substance abuse and two periods in rehabilitation. The estate confirmed Houston fell from the stage but attributed the incident to darkness in the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage layout. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the estate said Houston "was absolutely not high" at the time.

Winfrey claimed she asked the audience not to share photographs of the fall to protect Houston from public harm. She said she believed disclosure of the incident would have damaged Houston's reputation, and noted that such restraint would be unlikely in the present day. The estate's statement acknowledged Houston "faced personal battles" but said it was "inaccurate and unfair" to connect those struggles to every performance or period of her life. The statement emphasised that what the audience witnessed was "the result of discipline, talent, and commitment" rather than drug use.

Houston was among the world's bestselling recording artists during the 1980s and 1990s, with sales exceeding 170 million albums globally. The dispute highlights differing accounts of a single documented incident from over a decade ago. Both parties have now made public statements regarding what occurred during the 2009 talkshow appearance.