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Showbiz Tonight
What About Bobbi Kristina?; Bobbi Kristina`s Relationship With Whitney; Whitney`s Final Days; Whitney`s Lost Fortune?
Aired February 14, 2012 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- what about Bobbi Kristina? Whitney Houston`s 18-year-old daughter is left inconsolable after her mother`s sudden death. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, how will she get through this tragedy?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: My daughter is my greatest inspiration -- my greatest, greatest -- she supports me. She loves me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whitney`s last interview. Her haunting words to "Access Hollywood" about her future.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
W. HOUSTON: I`m older. I`m mature. I`m looking forward to the years to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whitney`s final days inside the night that the world last saw Whitney Houston. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ newsmaker exclusive with the man behind the camera. What he saw Whitney doing right before her death.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Thank you for watching. We`ve got big news breaking tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive.
The story you absolutely have not heard before about Whitney Houston`s last public appearance and performance just two days before she was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel room.
We`ve got that information with the guy who was right there and shot the video. It`s now been replayed countless times around the world. He`s here for an exclusive SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And here`s the video I`m talking about. It`s Whitney in a pre-Grammy party last Thursday. This was thrown by her old friend, R & B singer, Kelly Price.
Together, they were up on stage singing a duet of "Yes, Jesus Loves Me." And there have been so many questions about Whitney that night. What kind of shape was she in? Was she, in fact, drinking? And did she get into a fight that left her bloodied?
With us tonight to tell us what he saw, Steve Jones, who shot that video. Steve is a brand management executive in the music industry and CEO of VGS & L entertainment. Steve is in Hollywood tonight for this SHOWBIZ exclusive.
All right, Steve, I appreciate you being here. You were right there, front row at Kelly Price`s pre-Grammy party when you shot that last known video of Whitney performing ever. Let`s take a look at that again.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: So Whitney had just been invited to be there to support Kelly. She hopped up on stage. Kelly Price said that was an impromptu performance by Whitney Houston.
Steve, you didn`t know Whitney before that night, but you actually ended up spending a lot of time with her. How was she acting in your mind?
STEVE JONES, CEO, VGS & L ENTERTAINMENT: Before I say anything, I just want to acknowledge her as a vocal legend. There`s nothing that I can say or nothing that will come out in the toxicology report that will dispute that she was the voice of a generation.
HAMMER: No question about that.
JONES: That being said, we definitely were in high spirits that night. I spent two hours with her in VIP downstairs exclusively. She was in a celebratory mood.
It was in honor of bringing back attention to R & B genre. Who better to celebrate that than Whitney Houston, the voice? So, yes, everyone of them was celebrating. Everyone was having champagne.
Yes, she did have a few glasses as has been reported. But, again, it was in the name of a celebration. We didn`t see anything out of the ordinary.
I will say that she was partying with her daughter, a lot of dancing, just a lot of high energy, which was good to see that Whitney wanted to be a part. She was excited about life. And, you know, she was having a great time.
HAMMER: Yes. And a lot of that corroborates, you know, these pictures that were taken. Look at right now from that night where she appears, obviously tired and even a little disheveled-looking.
Much has been made of these photos and how she looked that night. And in addition to what we`re seeing here, there was what some say appear to be blood dripping down her leg. Others say it might have been a wine spill.
And there were reports, Steve, that somehow this is all connected to a fight that she got into with "X Factor" contestant, Stacey Francis, over Whitney`s companion, Ray J.
Now, you were right there. What do you know? Did you see Whitney have any kind of physical interaction or altercation with Stacey or anyone for that matter?
JONES: In the VIP room downstairs, Stacey did come and introduce herself as a finalist for "X Factor." Whitney took that opportunity to speak into her life about the music industry and to provide some information and some of her knowledge.
So everything was fine. I have heard that when we went upstairs for the performance that something happened between the two of them. But I was backstage capturing that exclusive footage, so I can`t speak to the conversation that took place between the two of them. But I know there was no physical altercation by any means.
HAMMER: OK, so you didn`t actually get a chance to see that. As you mentioned, Whitney was having some champagne. There have also been conflicting reports about whether she was drinking that night or how much she might have been drinking.
I do want you to watch with me with Kelly Price, who, of course, threw the party, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the Grammy Awards. This was the day after, of course, Whitney had died. She says that Whitney was sober and just having a good time. Let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY PRICE, SINGER: I totally get that when people are tainted because they know of things that happened or there`s been a struggle in the past, that`s the first place their mind will go.
But what I can say -- I can`t speak for anything else. But what I can say on Thursday night, Whitney was partying. She was happy.
She was sober, maybe a little tipsy because she had some champagne. But we had a good time Thursday night. And I will not let anybody say anything else about my friend because it`s not true.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Steve. You were there. Obviously, it`s a little disturbing to hear that she may have been a little tipsy. But does that story, what Kelly said, basically line up with what you saw?
JONES: Pretty much. I will say this -- again, it was a night of celebration. She did have a couple glasses of champagne. But again, it was in the name of a celebration.
But I will say this, as a music industry professional, if she was a client of mine, I would never have allowed her to drink in the public knowing her recorded history, if you will.
HAMMER: Yes.
JONES: She was in the process of recovering. So even if she`s having champagne before or after the party, I don`t think it was appropriate for her team to allow her to drink because, now, we have these conflicting stories, et cetera, what have you. And it`s been linked in relation to her death.
So I think it`s important to surround yourself in this music industry with people who will build you up and protect your image. And if I could point a finger at anybody, I would it`s that entourage that was with her all night who should have been mindful of her image in the media. I think that`s something important to talk about.
HAMMER: And quite frankly, Steve, this might have been a story that we would have been talking about this week had Whitney not passed away over the weekend. Thank you so much, Steve. I really appreciate you being here and sharing all this with us.
I want to dig a little deeper into all of these conflicting reports still out there today about Whitney and her final days.
Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph is with us tonight from Hollywood. In Washington tonight, entertainment and lifestyle journalist, Jawn Murray. I appreciate you both being here.
Whitney`s good friend and self-proclaimed former addict, Chaka Kahn, just spoke out about what she thinks was going on with Whitney last week.
And so did singer and friend, Kelly Price, as we heard. But they`re telling very different stories. Let`s watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRICE: She was not high. Well, I`m a girl that grew up in the projects of New York City. I know high when I see it. She was not high.
CHAKA KHAN, SINGER: I stand on whoever flew her out to perform at that party should have provided someone to be there to somehow look -- just keep the riffraff out of the situation, just keep some of the dangerous people away.
PRICE: I saw her with a couple of glasses of champagne. And then her interactions were normal. There was nothing that seemed that it was over the top. She didn`t seem to be intoxicated to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. And as we were just talking about, Chaka thinks that Whitney really, really needed to have supervision there. Kelly said Whitney wasn`t drunk, but had been drinking champagne.
Steve says, you know, she should have had people protecting her and shouldn`t have been drinking in public at all given her past substance abuse.
Jawn, let me start with you. Fans and friends alike, obviously, everybody is desperate for answers. How should we reconcile all of these different accounts?
JAWN MURRAY, ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE JOURNALIST: You know, A.J., it`s really tough because Whitney Houston has done several interviews. And one of the things that has stuck out in my mind was when she was speaking to Oprah Winfrey.
And she told Oprah about when her mom, Cissy Houston, wanted to do an intervention with her. And Whitney told her mom, "If you try to put me away, I will take Bobbi Kristina. I will leave the country. You`ll never see me again."
So I reference that to say this is a woman that -- I don`t care who you put around her. If she was going to do what she wanted to do, she was going to do what she wanted to do.
I definitely think it was unfortunate what happened that night. I heard your conversation with Steve earlier. And there was an incident in the club with Stacey Francis.
They did have an argument about the singer Ray J. And Whitney had to be held back from fighting Stacey Francis. That is factual.
I`ve spoken to everybody in the party. Everybody`s story is very consistent. You know, Whitney, you know, should not have been drinking that night.
And it`s unfortunate that people have to talk about her drinking, because now that we know she was on a prescription medication -- you know, the two do not go hand in hand.
HAMMER: No.
MURRAY: So I don`t know how the fans can reconcile the actions. They`re just going to have to focus on the legacy that Whitney has left and the music that we`ll have to remember.
HAMMER: And, obviously, we haven`t been able to independently confirm that there was any kind of an altercation, Jawn, as you know.
Sheryl, I wanted to talk to you about this, because you made what I thought was such an eloquent statement on the heels of Whitney`s passing, among which you said fame is a very difficult friend to keep.
You clearly understand what Chaka Kahn was saying that if Whitney was going to be at the Clive Davis pre-Grammy party, it would have been terrific if she could have had somebody around her who could have possibly kept her away from trouble. Don`t you think?
SHERYL LEE RALPH, ACTRESS: You would have absolutely thought that there would be somebody there helping, watching, supporting Whitney as she went out. When we hear she was drinking, we know that that was not a good thing.
But sometimes, you know, fame gives you those fast friends, those "yes" friends. Yes, you`re wonderful. Yes, you`re fabulous. Yes, you can do this. Yes, yes, I know. It`s just another little drink.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And you never hear "no" and you feel protected. You feel that they`re there for you. But I`m telling you, if there`s one thing I`ve seen over and over, fame can be a witch. And we spell it with a B.
HAMMER: Yes, no question about that. Look, we`re not going to know for sure if drugs or alcohol played any part in Whitney Houston`s death until the investigation is complete.
Obviously, Jawn, as we said, there`s a lot of speculation going on. But Chaka Khan`s point, Jawn, it just is so troubling to me and I think to everybody, regardless of whether you could find somebody who could say no to Whitney Houston, that she was even out partying.
I mean, that`s just -- it disturbs me regardless of what the end result may have been.
MURRAY: Yes, and I don`t disagree with that. One of the things, A.J., that I`ve learned from HLN`s Dr. Drew and Jane Velez-Mitchell is that addiction is a sickness. It`s an illness that we have to treat like cancer and other things.
And so, you know, Whitney was functioning with a sickness that she had went to rehab three times in an attempt to conquer. We know factually that she went back to rehab early last fall just so she could shoot "Sparkle."
So this was a woman that was functioning with an addiction that many of us will never understand. And so, oftentimes, while it appeared she was having a good time, that good time sometimes led to an end result that only made her sickness worse.
HAMMER: Yes. Well put.
RALPH: So right.
HAMMER: Sheryl Lee Ralph, John Murray, I thank you both very, very much. As we move on, obviously, we`re mourning the loss of an icon, a singular talent.
But what about Whitney Houston`s only child, Bobbi Kristina? How is she going to get through this unimaginable tragedy at just 18 years old?
Plus, intimate new details are revealed tonight about Bobbi Kris` relationship with her mother in Whitney`s emotional final interview with "Access Hollywood."
W. HOUSTON: And my daughter is my greatest inspiration. My greatest, my greatest -- she`s with me. She loves me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Whitney`s haunting words about her family and her future. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has new details tonight about when and where Whitney Houston`s funeral will be and if the public`s going to be invited.
And Whitney`s fortune. A lot of conflicting reports out there tonight that Whitney, who once signed a $100 million contract, lost a big chunk of her fortune. Well, tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT separates fact from fiction. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Hugh Hefner`s son Marston arrested for attacking Playboy playmate girlfriend. Amanda Seyfried talks about Sarah Jessica Parker taking over for Demi Moore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANDA SEYFRIED, ACTRESS: To me -- yes, I was really bummed. We`re all really bummed. She worked so hard and she was -- she was the perfect Gloria.
It`s hard to like want -- like wish for someone`s well-being but (INAUDIBLE). It`s really -- it sucked, but Sarah Jessica Parker is so awesome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARETHA FRANKLIN, SINGER: In acknowledging one of the greatest singers that has ever stood before a microphone.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
Ms. Whitney Elizabeth Houston.
(SINGING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Imagine the energy in that room from one singing legend to another. Of course, that`s the great Aretha Franklin paying special tribute to her goddaughter, Whitney Houston.
That was a private concert in Charlotte last night, that video from ABC. Aretha is joined in her mourning by Whitney`s millions of fans around the world.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, remembering Whitney.
Tonight, Whitney Houston`s family is thanking fans for their outpouring of love and support -- this, as they announce that the final arrangements have now been made to put the iconic singer to rest.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter joining me now from Hollywood with all the breaking details. Kareen?
KAREEN WYNTER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: That`s right, A.J. Well, right now, Whitney Houston`s family and close friends are making the final arrangements to put Whitney to arrest.
Before daylight this morning, A.J., it was quite a scene. A golden hearse transporting Houston`s body arrived at a New Jersey funeral home and was greeted with throngs of fans paying tribute to the iconic singer.
Today, the Houston family released these new details about the funeral service. And we can tell you now that the funeral for Whitney Houston, it will be held Saturday at noon at the place where, well, Whitney got her start, the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark.
That`s the same church, A.J., where she sang in the choir as a young girl. I can also tell you SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has confirmed there will be no public memorial or tribute service held.
And while we`re still working to confirm this, A.J., there are reports there may possibly be a motorcade organized so that those thousands of fans that are expected to line the streets on the day of Whitney Houston`s funeral may, of course, offer their final goodbyes.
HAMMER: Yes, I can only respect the family for wanting to do things exactly as they want to do them for themselves. Kareen, I want you to stay right there so I can bring back in Sheryl Lee Ralph right now, joining me from Hollywood.
Sheryl, so many fans have been online posting thousands of messages. Everybody wants to be connected to this. Everybody wants to pay their respects.
So now we know there will be no public memorial service, at least at this point, possibly that motorcade. I`m curious of what you think.
Of course, the family`s wishes must be honored. I think that is essential. So if not a motorcade, what do you think would be an appropriate outlet for fans to say their final farewells?
RALPH: I think one of the things that we`re absolutely going to see is that outpouring of love on that day. I know there`s thousands that will not feel they have that closure.
They will show up to have their own closure at that time. I`m sure just like Auntie Riri, Aretha Franklin, did her own special tribute, you`re going to see tributes across this country for Whitney.
And you know, there was a little something brought up earlier, you know, about the cost of fame. It costs to send people off.
And when you talk about the cost of sending off a star, like a Michael Jackson, like a Whitney Houston, you`re talking about millions of dollars. Who`s going to foot that bill?
And sometimes, in a moment like this, that`s not what`s needed. It`s just a simple, family, intimate moment. And I`m sure that`s what Ms. Cissy Houston needs right now, an intimate moment with her daughter. And I`m sure she`s been robbed of so many of them that she will not be robbed of it in her daughter`s death.
HAMMER: Yes, I totally agree with you. We`re seeing Clive Davis right now. I bet -- you can`t count my words on this that Clive will be instrumental in some kind of a public memorial at some appropriate moment for the great Whitney Houston.
RALPH: Of course.
HAMMER: All right. Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kareen Wynter, thank you both so much. We`ve got to move onto Whitney`s fortune.
Now, sales of Whitney Houston`s albums have just soared since her death. So why is there a major backlash brewing now against her record company? And what is up with the wild reports that Whitney lost her fortune?
Also, Oprah`s big oops. This is so surprising to me. And we`ve got new details about Oprah Winfrey`s Twitter firestorm and why she`s saying sorry tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: That is LeAnn Rimes paying tribute to Whitney Houston at a concert in Reno, Nevada just hours after the superstar was found dead.
LeAnn was a huge fan of Houston. LeAnn tweeted this tribute to Whitney. She wrote, "Wow, I learned how to do what I do because of three great women, one being Whitney. She was always so kind to me."
Moving on to another music icon being honored by her husband, Mariah Carey, just presented with the BET Honors Entertainer Award.
Mariah is serenaded by Kelly Rowland and then she was brought to tears by Patti LaBelle who song Mariah`s hit, "Hero." Imagine that.
But the big surprise of the night was the person who presented Mariah with her award. It was her husband, Nick Cannon. When the show was taped last month, this was Nick`s very first public appearance after being hospitalized for kidney failure.
Nick`s emotional speech, I thought really revealed M.C.`s softer side.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICK CANNON, MARIAH CAREY`S HUSBAND: But honestly, it is truly, truly a blessing to be here tonight. And I`m humbled and in awe of everyone`s presence, but mostly my hero right there.
We heard the accolades. We heard the numbers. But what most people don`t get the opportunity to experience is the true woman, the mother, the virtuous person, my angel.
When times are hard, she`s there. You guys don`t see her at 3:00 in the morning getting up in the middle of the night fixing me soup and stuff when my kidneys aren`t acting right and Mariah Carey does that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, who knew Mariah in the middle of the night fixing soup? And it was sweet. He`s kind of tearing up there. By the way, that was Baby Moroccan with Nick. And Mariah joked about why her daughter, Monroe, was MIA that night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARIAH CAREY, SINGER: Come on, Roc. Just come up here for two seconds. This is what makes Roc the most happy. Can we do this?
(LAUGHTER)
And Ms. Monroe Cannon is backstage, darling. We were both sewn into our dresses so she couldn`t make it out right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Beautiful. Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup -- here`s what`s coming at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So what about Bobbi Kristina? How will Whitney Houston`s 18-year-old daughter get through this tragedy?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
W. HOUSTON: My daughter is my greatest inspiration. My greatest, my greatest -- she supports me. She loves me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Bobbi Kris` special relationship with her mother is revealed in Whitney`s emotional final interview with "Access Hollywood."
Sales of Whitney`s albums have just soared since her death. So why is there a major backlash brewing against her major record company tonight? And what`s up with the wild report that is Whitney lost her fortune? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It`s time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Uggie from "The Artist" named best dog in a film at Golden Collar Awards. Fourth "Transformers" movie to be released in June 2014.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- what about Bobbi Kristina? How will Whitney Houston`s only daughter get through this tragedy? Bobbi Kristina`s special relationship with her mother is revealed in Whitney`s emotional final interview with "Access Hollywood."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
W. HOUSTON: My daughter is my greatest inspiration. My greatest, my greatest -- she supports me. She loves me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The big question tonight, what`s next for Bobbi Kristina? Whitney`s fortune. There are wild new reports that the woman who sold 170 million albums lost her fortune. Tonight, SHOWBIZ tonight separates facts from fiction.
And Oprah Winfrey`s rare Twitter misfire. What did Oprah just fire off that has the queen of talk tongue-tied?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ tonight. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with our continuing coverage of Whitney Houston`s death.
And tonight, what about her daughter, Bobbi Kristina? Tonight, SHOWBIZ tonight is bringing you brand-new revelations about how Whitney`s 18-year- old daughter is now doing in a very difficult road ahead.
Obviously, we know how devastated she`s been, hospitalized now twice since her mother`s death. And now, there are fears the worst may be yet to come.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): In this video from E!, we see Whitney Houston just two days before she died, bringing over her 18-year-old daughter Bobbi Kristina to greet record executive, Clive Davis.
Mother and daughter spent Whitney`s final days together in Los Angeles happily taking in all the pre-Grammy festivities, which included Bobbi Kristina watching her mom get up on stage with Kelly Price to sing in public for what turned out to be the last time.
A happy occasion that we all know turned heartbreaking Saturday night when Whitney was found dead in her hotel room. Bobbi Kristina has been hospitalized twice since her mother`s death.
ALEXIS TERESZCUK, "RADAR ONLINE": She is in a terrible state and everybody around her is very, very worried about her health.
HAMMER: Now, a family friend tells SHOWBIZ tonight, Bobbi Kristina is now in the care of Whitney`s grieving mother, Cissy Houston. And Bobbi Kristina`s father, Bobby Brown, is also by her side. He left the tour of his old R & B group, New Edition, to be with her.
KIM BURRELL, GOSPEL SINGER AND WHITNEY HOUSTON`S FRIEND: I`m proud to say that Bobbi Kris is doing fairly well.
HAMMER: Houston family friend, Kim Burrell, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Bobbi Kristina is in a delicate place.
BURRELL: She`s taking it extremely hard, which is to be expected.
HAMMER: Today, all eyes are on this young girl who grew up in the spotlight and inherited her famous parents` musical gifts.
(SINGING)
HAMMER: But she also inherited their life of turmoil and hardship, hardship now compounded by the death of her beloved mom.
TERESZCUK: She`s so young. She`s only 18. And she`s devastated about the loss of her mother.
HAMMER: Bobbi Kristina was born in 1993 during the peak of her parents` run as a celebrity "it" couple.
BOBBI KRISTINA HOUSTON BROWN, WHITNEY HOUSTON`S DAUGHTER: I want to get married at --
HAMMER: Bobbi Kristina appeared with her parents in the 2005 reality show "Being Bobby Brown." But along with the fame, Bobbi Kristina had a front row seat for her parents` dark side which included drug use, brushes with the law and abuse.
W. HOUSTON: I was horrified. Spit in my face.
HAMMER: In 2009, Whitney Houston told Oprah Winfrey that Bobby Brown would lash out at her during their marriage and that was witnessed by their daughter.
W. HOUSTON: He would push me against the wall. I was on the phone and I went back and I took the phone and I hit him over the head with it. And he just fell out on the floor. Our daughter came down and she was like, "Daddy!"
HAMMER: In fact, Whitney told Oprah it was Bobbi Kristina who helped convince her to leave Bobby Brown for good.
W. HOUSTON: No. She said no. Divorce him.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": That`s what your daughter said?
W. HOUSTON: "Let him go. You don`t deserve that. Neither do I." She was very firm than I had ever imagined.
HAMMER: Bobbi Kristina also watched her mom struggle with very public drug problems that landed Whitney in rehab twice. And Bobbi Kristina soon found out herself what it was like to be the subject of drug rumors.
TERESZCUK: In March of 2011, "The National Enquirer" exclusively obtained photos of Bobbi Kristina and she appeared to be snorting what looked like cocaine in the photos.
HAMMER: Bobbi Kristina went on Twitter and said she was set up an ex- boyfriend. She wrote, "It`s really not what it looks like."
But through it all, mother and daughter stuck together. Bobbi Kristina frequently tweeted about the fun times she had with her famous mom.
Last august, she tweeted, quote, "Watching `Casino` with Mommy. I love being with her. All we do is laugh and love together all of the time. Couldn`t be more blessed to have her."
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Bobbi Kristina has also said she wants to follow in her mother`s showbiz footsteps, a possibility Whitney told Oprah she was preparing.
WINFREY: So if she chooses to be in this business, that`s OK for you?
W. HOUSTON: Yes, but I will be there. I will be there like my mom was there with me.
HAMMER: But sadly, Whitney Houston can`t be there for her daughter now. And it looks like Bobbi Kristina will have to navigate her childhood scars and the pressures of being the child of a superstar without her mom. That may be the biggest tragedy of all.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: This, of course, is an unimaginably tough time for Bobbi Kristina. The question now is, what is next for her? "Access Hollywood" Shaun Robinson conducted the last-known interview with Whitney Houston just two and a half months ago where Whitney revealed her deep connection with Bobbi Kristina.
Shaun is "Access Hollywood`s" weekend anchor and correspondent. She is with us tonight from Hollywood for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. It`s good to see you, sadly under these circumstances, Shaun, but thank you for being with us.
SHAUN ROBINSON, WEEKEND ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": Good to see you, too, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Now, before we take a look at this incredible interview that you did with Whitney Houston, I do want to ask you about Bobbi Kris.
She`s been hospitalized twice already since her mother`s death. What do we know about how she`s doing now, Shaun?
ROBINSON: Well, Bobby Brown released a statement saying that his daughter was doing well. You know -- as you know, he was on tour and he flew back here a day or so after the news broke. And he is with his daughter now, presumably.
You know, when my interview with Whitney Houston -- she talked about the very strong bond that she had with Bobbi Kristina. And your heart just bleeds for -- I call her a little girl because I`m remembering her as a little girl. But actually, she`s a young woman now.
And to see the images of her on the stretcher were just -- they were really just heartbreaking. So you know how close she was to her mom. So hopefully, today, she is with family members and other people who can really surround her and lift her up.
HAMMER: Yes, obviously, we`re all hoping for that. You mentioned a bond that we had that leads me to one moment from your sit-down with Whitney that would become her final interview.
It was a moment that really stands out to me, Shaun, when she talked about Bobbi Kris as you asked her what helps her get through those really tough times. Let`s watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
W. HOUSTON: It is a blessing that I have a mother that`s very strong and family that surround me and constantly tell me they love me.
And my daughter is my greatest inspiration, my greatest, my greatest -- she supports me. She loves me. She gives me good mommy hugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good mommy hugs. I mean, how sweet is that? It`s so apparent that Whitney really did lean on her daughter for a lot of support.
Was that the kind of relationship they`ve really had most of the time where, you know, Bobbi Kris would almost take on this parenting role at times?
ROBINSON: Yes, you would think that, A.J., because, obviously, Bobbi Kristina has seen her mother through all sorts of times, the up times, the down times.
And Whitney had, you know, really said that Bobbi Kristina really lifts her up and those mommy hugs that she talked about helped her get through the very, very tough times.
And even today, in recent photos that we`ve seen of the two, you can just see that she`s so grown up now. And she was really one of her mother`s biggest supporters.
And you wonder about the people just in Whitney`s immediate circle, obviously, her daughter was part of that, and probably the strongest person who could actually help her mother through some of those very tough times.
HAMMER: And you mentioned Bobby Brown and the relationship that exists now. I want to get into that between Bobby and Bobbi Kristina. You mentioned a statement that he released today, which I actually want to read right now.
If we could put this up, Charles, "Obviously, the death of her mother is affecting her. However, we will get through this tragedy as a family. Again, I ask for privacy during this time."
You know, we all fully expected Bobby to leave his tour and to be right there by her side. But what can you tell us about what their relationship is like right now? Because, as we heard a few minutes ago, it was Bobbi Kristina who encouraged her mother to leave her father.
ROBINSON: Yes, and I don`t particularly know about those details in terms of, you know, what happened with Bobbi Kristina doing the divorce. I can`t speak to that. But I can speak to the fact that -- I know Bobby.
And I know that he has a good relationship with his daughter, Bobbi Kristina. I know that, you know, many people would say that, obviously, Whitney`s relationship with her was stronger.
But I know that this man loves his daughter very, very much. And so what -- you know, what is -- who she will be with mostly now, you know, that`s all up for speculation because, definitely, Cissy Houston, Whitney`s mother, was very influential in her life.
So whether she will be, you know, closer to her grandmother, I don`t really know. But I do know that Bobby loves Bobbi Kristina very much.
HAMMER: Well, certainly, we have to believe that Cissy and the other close family members will be right there and give Bobbi Kristina the hugs and the guidance that she needs right now in, as I said, an unimaginable time.
Shaun Robinson, thank you. It`s always nice to see you. And for more of Shaun`s interview with Whitney Houston, make sure you check out tomorrow`s broadcast of "Access Hollywood." You can check your local listings for show times.
HAMMER: Well, there`s obviously so much more breaking news tonight about Whitney`s tragic death we have to get to. First up, Whitney`s fortune.
There are wild new reports that the woman who sold 170 million albums lost her fortune. Tonight, SHOWBIZ tonight is going to separate the fact from the fiction.
And Oprah Winfrey`s desperate Twitter plea backfires -- nine million followers, one seriously suspect tweet and a backlash that actually has Lady O making one of the biggest apologies of her life. You`ve got to hear these surprising details and I`ve got them for you. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And this is the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Reports: "Waiting to Exhale" sequel still on despite Whitney Houston`s death. "Good Deeds" co-stars Eddie Cibrian and Rebecca Romijn reveal Valentine`s plans.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDDIE CIBRIAN, ACTOR: My wife actually is performing. She has a show in Vegas that she`s doing on Valentine`s Day. So, you know, I`m going to out, you know, and be with her for that.
REBECCA ROMIJN, ACTRESS: I`m going to the premiere of "Good Deeds" because I respect my professional obligations.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: No question about it, "I Will Always Love You" was one of Whitney Houston`s most iconic songs, certainly one of her biggest financial success stories to date. The "Bodyguard" sound track has sold over 44 million copies. That makes it the bestselling sound track ever.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Whitney`s windfall.
More than 170 million albums sold, 11 number one songs, six Grammy awards. You know, few artists have had a career like Whitney Houston did. And during the height of her success, in 2001, Whitney signed a $100 million recording contract.
She brought in another $30 million that year from touring. When you hear numbers like that, it is so hard to even believe the reports that Whitney may have lost her fortune.
Back with me now is "Access Hollywood" weekend anchor and correspondent, Shaun Robinson. Shaun did the last known interview with Whitney Houston. Also, with me tonight, in New York, Sunny Hostin, legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV.
So just before Whitney`s death, all of these reports were flying around saying Whitney had lost her fortune. I found it very hard to believe and her rep told us those reports were false.
Whitney`s career was on track with a new movie in the works, of course, that being "Sparkle." Shaun, when you spoke with Whitney, did you get the sense that she was back on track, both in reality and in her mind?
ROBINSON: no question about it, A.J. When I was talking to her, I kept saying how great she looked. She had gained weight because we remember seeing the pictures of her looking very, very thin.
She was very happy. She was definitely coming to set on time. People on the set, other actors, like Jordin Sparks -- they looked up to her because she would give them advice.
There was no way that you could convince me that 13 weeks after that interview that she would be dead. There`s no way. I would not have believed it. I thought that this was definitely going to be part of her comeback.
HAMMER: And everybody was saying she was genuinely excited about the future. That`s the impression you got, right?
ROBINSON: Absolutely. And she even talked to me about wanting to do the sequel to "Waiting to Exhale." And I said, "You`ve got to do it." And she said, "Oh, you know, I`m not going to say no."
And she was definitely looking towards the future. And she said during my interview that she felt that her future did look bright, that there were a number of possibilities. So that just makes it so much more tragic.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s a shame, especially when you hear about the sequel that never came to be. And we look at what`s been going on with the sales of Whitney`s albums. I mean, this is not surprising at all that they have truly boomed since her death.
But the sales have also stirred a controversy. I`ve got to tell you and I heard this and I was pretty ticked off. Sony raised the price for Whitney Houston`s songs on iTunes. Fans obviously not happy about that at all.
So thankfully, somebody got a hold of somebody important and did the right thing. And now, the original price has been restored. But in my mind, what a stupid, stupid move.
And obviously, it leads to questions about who profits from her death. No surprise, again, you know, Whitney`s fans are rushing to buy her music.
But Sunny, you`ve got to question people`s motives in a situation like that. I am happy they came to their senses, but what the heck were they thinking?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": Exactly. It`s extraordinary, isn`t it? I mean, it`s as if they were exploiting her death at a time when the nation, really, is grieving over the loss of an icon.
And I`m glad, as you mentioned, that they reversed course and changed their decision because I think the viewers or rather the folks that were buying the music really put them to task. I mean, there was social media out rage.
HAMMER: Well, you can`t do that in this day and age. I mean, just the idea that the sheer volume of sales wasn`t going to make them happy enough. It`s like price-gouging. It`s not like they`re going to run out of downloads.
HOSTIN: That`s right. That`s right.
HAMMER: It just -- it floors me. And all of this news about Whitney`s finances also brings, of course, questions about Whitney`s estate.
I mean, you look at what happened with Michael Jackson. Let`s take a look back at his record. According to Forbes, the King of Pop`s estate earned roughly $500 million since his death.
And listen to this number. In the first year, the estate made more than $273 million alone. I think, Sunny, it`s obviously fair to say that, you know, with Whitney Houston, there is a great likelihood in death, as almost macabre as it is to speculate on this. But she could very well be worth a whole lot more than she was living.
HOSTIN: I think there`s no question about it. And let`s remember, you know, she still has Bobbi Kristina. I mean, that`s a young person who is entitled to her mother`s estate.
And so I think we will see an increase in the value of her estate. When I first heard the news, the first thing I did was go to my music library to make sure that I had Whitney Houston`s music, which I did.
So I can`t imagine that people aren`t going to start buying her music again and again. And I think that we`ll also see some new releases, perhaps, of material we haven`t heard from or re-releases. I think there`s going to be a lot of increase in value.
HAMMER: And if Bobbi Kristina benefits and people are taking care of that money, that can only be a good thing.
HOSTIN: That`s right.
HAMMER: When honest people are watching out. All right, Sunny, great. Thank you so much.
Well, as we move on tonight, we have to talk about Oprah Winfrey`s rare Twitter misfire. This really surprised me. And we`re going to tell you the surprising reason why Lady O is apologizing to her fans all because she tweeted about her struggling network. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And this is the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Lady Gaga will film launch of "Born This Way" foundation for "OWN" network. "Wanderlust" co-stars Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd strike sexy pose on "GQ" cover.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Oh, nom she didn`t. Tonight, the fall out from Oprah Winfrey`s Grammy-night tweet that caused a backlash. Also, Grammy gold. We`re going to tell you why the Grammys just had its best showing in more than 25 years.
And SHOWBIZ breaks news. We`ve got a music legend on the pressures that Whitney Houston may have been dealing with. That tops "The Buzz Today."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) Gloria`s take on Whitney. Gloria Estefan reveals to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how the pressures of fame may have played a role in Whitney Houston`s tragic death.
GLORIA ESTEFAN, SINGER: People tend to forget that celebrities are human beings. We live our lives. We try to do what we love, which is music. And to share it with everyone in our job usually is to entertain and to make people forget their troubles.
So things like this really hit home. We become like family to our friends. And you know, her gift, which was a true gift since she was a little girl -- she had this amazing voice.
So when you lose that, as well, it`s got to be pressure. And, lately, the entertainment -- the music business, particularly, has taken major turns and add to that the fact that, you know, everyone is watching your every move.
So I`m sure that there are pressures. And like anyone else, you know, we go through a lot of tough times but in the public eye, it`s tough.
HAMMER: Grammys bring home the gold. The musicians may have taken home the trophies on Sunday night, but the 54th annual broadcast brought in the ratings for CBS.
CBS confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the Sunday night`s Grammy telecast had the largest television audience since 1984 with more than 39 million viewers.
Oprah owns up. Oprah Winfrey is making a big apology after sending a controversial tweet on Grammy night. The Big O took to Twitter Sunday night to ask fans to tune into her cable network, OWN, especially if you have a Nielsen box.
Oprah later deleted her tweet at the reported requested Nielsen and apologized saying, "I intended no harm and apologize for the reference."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes. That`s a big no-no. I`m really, really surprised that Oprah, of all people, would do something like that. OK, on now to Bruce Jenner`s Valentine`s Day. Confessions about Kardashian love gone wrong. That is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, it may be Valentine`s Day, and happy Valentine`s Day to you. But Kris and Bruce Jenner are spilling brand-new secrets about Kim Kardashian`s divorce nightmare. Bruce revealed on "Ellen" today that he had doubts about Kim`s marriage to Kris Humphries right from the start.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRUCE JENNER, REALITY TV STAR: I had my questions.
KRIS JENNER, REALITY TV STAR: Yes.
B. JENNER: And I remember when Kris came to me -- we were playing golf and asked for -- "Is it OK if I ask for her hand in marriage?" In the back of my head, I said, "I don`t know if she`s going to say yes, but it`s not my decision, you know. Go for it."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Bruce, maybe you should have said something and helped to avoid all the drama of the marriage that fell apart after just 72 days. I`m just saying.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively weeknights. We are on at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
Stay right here for "DR. DREW," next. Tonight, the prescription pills, a history of addiction. Who failed Whitney? "DR. DREW" on HLN starts right now.
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