VIDEO: Cissy Houston Would "Not" Approve of a Gay Relationship

This week's episode of Oprah's Next Chapter features Cissy Houston and is required viewing. The celebrated gospel singer candidly discusses the life of her daughter Whitney Houston, who died almost one year ago.

The piece de resistance: Cissy Houston addresses the speculation and rumors around her daughter's sexuality. Houston admitted that she "did not know" if Whitney had a romantic relationship with her longtime friend and employee Robyn Crawford—who is a lesbian—but she would "never" accept or condone that.

Houston's response leaves Oprah speechless. Watch AFTER THE JUMP ...

OPRAH: "Would it have bothered you if you knew that your daughter Whitney was gay?"

HOUSTON: "Absolutely. Absolutely."

OPRAH: "You would not have liked that at all?"

HOUSTON: "No."

OPRAH: "You would not accept or condone ..."

HOUSTON: "Never."

Those one word responses spoke volumes about the relationship between mother and daughter. It also offers a possible context for Whitney Houston's unhappiness and self-destructive behavior. There's a great conversation about this at Son of Baldwin's Facebook.

Cissy Houston used the words "arrogant" and "disrespectful" to describe her initial impressions of Crawford. There is much more in Houston's upcoming memoir Remembering Whitney: My Story of Love, Loss and the Night the Music Stopped, reports USA Today.

She also expresses reservations in the book about Robyn Crawford, Whitney's longtime friend and sometime housemate and business associate. Cissy writes that upon meeting Crawford, she was taken aback by her "arrogance" and "abrasive" behavior, also noting, "As I would later learn, she was also gay, although that had nothing to do with why I didn't like her."

Of course it didn't.

Whitney Houston died on February 11 2011 in a Beverly Hills hotel room. Houston was found underwater in a bathtub. The causes of death was drowning due to heart failure exacerbated by alcohol and cocaine consumption.

Comments

[Young]

Sounds like Mother Houston knew but "didn't want" to know.

[Bellah]

I saw Whitney at Catch One in La back in the late 80"s. she was with her girlfriend Robyn Crawforeand they were very big with the PDA that nite.

[JW, III]

Sounds like mama may have been a contributor to her death. It appears that Whitney clearly suffered from a case of internalized homophobia. It’s tragic that her mother wouldn’t have accepted her and you had better believe that Whitney knew this. Tragic.

[me]

One thing I have found is that when women who are Cissy Houston's age say a younger person is "disrespectful" that generally means that they don't like the fact that someone does not let them run roughshod over them. She reminds me of my aunts in that way, which is why I don't mess with any of them. Robyn clearly had a brain and a perspective - and would voice them. Cissy didn't like that. You can tell from her demeanor that she does not like to be questioned. That interview confirmed what I've always thought about her - her inflexible nature is almost certainly part of the reason that ALL of her kids went hog wild when they got a taste of freedom. It's a shame that Whitney's life ended the way it did. As far as I am concerned she all but answered the question about Whitney and Robyn ...

[Palm Reader]

Shades of Eddie Long and Berniece King. Ugh. Don't get me started on the Newark Old School DL Gospel Lesbian Crew.

It's a family affair.

[Masai]

Ms. Houston's comments are clear, so I do not understand the speculations in these comments posted. Is it possible to stick to the facts?

[Troy]

The fact that Whitney was gay? Or the fact that the family was the capital D in dysfunctional? Or the fact that the whole world,assisted and watched as a beautiful person slowly but surely destroyed herself to get away from the truth. Live your own life folks and claim who you love because life is just that short and no else's but your own: Ms. Oprah knew; we all knew...

[Chitown Kev]

Look, Cissy obviously doesn't mind profiting from her daughter's death.

You know, I could probably get over Miss Thing's bigotry if she hadn't trashed Robyn the way she did in the book.

[TheRevKev]

It's really sad to listen to Ms. Houston say something like this and then WONDER if her tough stances towards Whitney cost her Whitney's love in the end. Whitney had a great deal of affection and respect for her mother, but when you can see that mother played a role in buying into the YOU MUST BE A CERTAIN WAY IN ORDER TO BE WHITNEY HOUSTON, she will have to spend the rest of the time she has on earth realizing that she shut down her daughter's soul.

Whitney and Robin were tender and tough together and Ms. Houston didn't like that Robin wouldn't stay in her place and when she was around, Whitney spoke up. Her statement that "It seemed like she had something over her" was so much a declaration of LOVE between them. When Robin was around, WHITNEY DIDN'T CARE! People at Arista and in her own family pushed Robin away because they wanted MORE CONTROL OVER THE POP ICON! She got more and more success but at the cost of her OWN JOY!

[Palm Reader]

With authority, I can count 3 generations of lesbian/bisexual women in the Houston-Drinkard-Warwick immediate bloodline.

I am no longer here for Emily "Cissy" Drinkard Garland Houston and her hateful pretense! John Houston didn't really leave Cissy for "the maid". He and Cissy had been apart for YEARS, they would just show up together for award shows at the beginning of WH's career.

BTW, Gary and Pat Houston are actually Gary and Pat Garland. Gary is Cissy's son from her 1st marriage. Somehow he and his 2nd wife have become Houstons.

[iama{GAY}tekeeper]

One day we all will understand how intolerance is the biggest sin

[Bellah]

Wow she said "I dont really Know" She all but outed Whitney

[Young]

Co-signing Bellah, Rev Kev, Palm Reader, Troy, Me and others.

Mama Houston all but outed her own daughter. And it was very clear that she and Dionne (DL/lesbian) were the locks on Whitney Houston's closet door.

[Chitown Kev]

@RevKev

Not only did Whitney get more and more success but it was at Robyn's expense.

Once Robyn pretty much left the scene (and that seems to have pretty much happened after Bobbi Kristina was born) what happened to Whitney's career.

And remember...Robyn told Mama Houston about Whitney's drug use before Bobby Brown even entered the pictured and Cissy herself said that she didn't do anything about it for a decade.

Which is fine, I guess, but then you go and trash your daughter's best friend/lover like that in your book?

let's face it, a very very few people will by this book because of Cissy Houston herself, they are buying this book because she's Whitney's Mom.

and she can't even respect her daughter and her friends.

[me]

I tell you the part the stunned me ... When they said that the end of the book says something like, "I wonder if Nippy loved me?" What on Earth happened between them to make her say that I wonder? Were things THAT strained. I thought that was really odd.

[DFS]

and why I am seeing so much ignorant commentary about how "well at least Cissy was honest" so what? A bigot being honest about her bigotry.

And yes, if you have to wonder whether your daughter loved you, and also question whether your granddaughter likes you, then look in the mirror because part of the problem might be you.

But you know, folks assumed she was a good person and a good mother because she was gospel singer

[Palm Reader]

So egotistical Cissy is wondering if Whitney loved her? What a mom!

Considering the self-destructive behavior that led to Whitney's death, "Did my daughter know that I loved her" as opposed to "Did my daughter love me," would be more important to me.

I'm not saying that she can't ponder both issues, but I am curious to know if she brought up whether Whitney felt loved anywhere in the book. That, of course, would require a mirror, NOT a bible, and a bit of introspection.

[Troy]

Peculiar as it is word on the street is that Ms. Whitney Houston was actually murdered and killed by the ones she owed money to for her habit...Made to look like she drowned when it was anything, but..

[Rod Mc]

@ Palm Reader, DFS, Me, ChiTown and Rev Kev: Y'all are going in! I love it! Carry on, children! Carry on!

[chris-leo]

the real follow up question should have been, "so, by 'not condone', would you have stopped speaking to her?" or "what if it meant never seeing your granddaughter?" or "if you could have her back now, but she was gay, etc...." bullies like cissy are used to people just backing down from their "final" word. i would've loved to see just how far her "standards" go. i suspect that stubborn old bat would take it pretty far.