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Roomies, MoNique is once again making it very clear shes not here for how some of Hollywoods most powerful voices handle stories about the late Whitney Houston. And this time, shes directly addressing Oprah Winfrey in a conversation thats reigniting old tensions and sparking fresh debate online.
During a recent appearance on the ‘My Husband Is My Best Friend’ YouTube channel, MoNique responds to questions about Oprah Winfrey revisiting a moment involving Whitney Houston allegedly falling during a 2009 taping of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ The Oscar-winning actress pushes back and questions why people publicly discuss private or sensitive details about someone who is no longer alive. How do you speak about someone that cant defend it? MoNique says, adding that it becomes unfair when audiences get expected to accept one narrative without hearing from the person involved. She also emphasizes that her comments dont come from disrespect, but from accountability, noting, I still love my sister, Oprah Winfrey its simply just correction.
The discussion stems from Oprahs recent remarks at Cannes Lions, where she reflected on Whitney Houstons final appearance on her talk show. Oprah claimed Whitney had gone back on drugs and referenced a moment where she said the singer fell off of the stage, adding that she discouraged audience members from sharing images out of concern for Whitneys public image. Those comments quickly sparked pushback from Whitney Houstons estate, which disputed the implication that drugs played a role in the fall. The estate maintains that Whitney slips during a soundcheck in a darkened area and is absolutely not high, urging that people dont tie her personal struggles to every professional moment.
MoNique also pointed out what she sees as a double standard, referencing Oprahs own onstage fall in 2020 where she publicly attributed the incident to wearing the wrong shoes. While used as a comparison, MoNique argued that living individuals are able to explain their experiences in real time, unlike Whitney, who can no longer respond for herself.
The conversation also ties into MoNiques long-standing tensions with Oprah, Tyler Perry, and Lee Daniels, dating back to the fallout from ‘Precious.’ MoNique says Hollywood blackballs her after she speaks out about industry treatment following her Academy Award-winning role. She also calls out Oprah over a past episode involving her estranged family, saying she gets misled about who appears on camera and later feels blindsided by how the segment unfolds.
