The upcoming Lifetime biopic on Whitney Houston is undoubtedly grabbing a whirlwind of attention. Now, the late singer's mother, Cissy Houston, is speaking out directly to the network asking that they cancel the film, which largely focuses on her daughter's riotous relationship with musician / former husband Bobby Brown.
Houston recently issued a statement to Entertainment Tonight, saying, "No one connected with this movie knew Whitney or anything about her relationship with Bobby." She went on to plead, "please, please let her rest."
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The statement continues with, "Lifetime has chosen to go ahead with the new movie about Whitney in spite of my family's objections. In the two years since Whitney's death, many people have stepped forward to speak about their close relationship with her. I find it difficult to believe people who knew and supposedly loved her would participate in a movie about her done by folks who didn't know her. We are exhausted by the continuing misinformation and comments offered by people who did not know her."
While Houston's comments are understandable, given the place she's coming from, it's important to note that her late daughter did, in fact, work with the film's director, Angela Bassett, back in 1995 for the film Waiting to Exhale. Also, singer Deborah Cox worked with the "I Will Always Love You" singer in 2000 on the track "Same Script, Different Cast," as The Guardian points out.
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Regardless of the recent plea, Lifetime plans to move forward with the project. It'll be the directorial debut for Bassett, who has previously said, "I have such regard for both Whitney's and Bobby's amazing talents and accomplishments; and I feel a responsibility in the telling of their story. Their humanity and bond fascinates us all. I'm beyond excited to have this opportunity to go behind the camera and into their world."
