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Oprah Winfrey Sparks Debate After Sharing Untold Story About Whitney Houston Falling Off Stage On Her Show
The second-to-last time that Winfrey saw Houston, the pair discussed what they both wanted to gain from their upcoming interview, which Winfrey later claimed to be one of the most powerful interviews she'd ever conducted.
According to Winfrey, Houston had gone through rehab and was committed to her sobriety at the time of that interview, but when Houston returned for her last performance on the show, Winfrey was suspicious that she had relapsed.
Winfrey recounted:
"I think it was her last show with us, and she had gone back on drugs."
"The first interview I did with her when we'd gone behind stage, and I asked her about her intention, she was clean, but the day she came to my show then to perform in front of the audience, she was not."
"She fell off of the stage."
"I knew if that story got out, she would be destroyed by that."
"So even though the audience was there and the audience had cameras, I begged them not to put those pictures out, because it would ruin her life."
"They did not. And that would not happen today, I can tell you that."
You can watch the clip here:
As the clip circulated online, people could understand Winfrey wanting to reflect on the power and commitment of her audience over the years, but they questioned the example she used, or why she didn't at least censor who the incident involved.
In particular on the "Pop Culture Chat" subReddit, Redditors challenged why she'd be worried about Houston's reputation in life but not respect her memory and legacy after her death.
"Sooo NOW you're sharing it??" - Ssspppaaaccceeesss
"What happened to respecting those who have passed and keeping things that should not be out there? So f**king tacky." - Different_Daikon3400
"She was 'so protective' of Whitney's reputation, and yet, here she is... telling us all about it." - freckyfresh
"Huh? What’s the point of protecting Whitney by asking the audience not to publicize it, when you’re just going to blab it to the general public on your huge platform anyway?" - ALLoftheFancyPants
"I feel like she could have told this story and made her point about her audience being respectful, having empathy, and listening when asked not to post photos of the incident without saying explicitly that it was Whitney. She could have just said it was a celebrity." - HumbleBell
Even Whitney Houston's estate got involved, responding to the story Winfrey told at Cannes Lions.
"From the 2009 interview on the 'Oprah Winfrey show,' Whitney absolutely fell off stage."
"It was during a sound check, and it was due to the darkness of the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage. She was absolutely not high."
"Like many people, she faced personal battles, but it is inaccurate and unfair to attach that struggle to every performance or every chapter of her life."
"What the studio audience witnessed on stage was the result of discipline, talent, and commitment, not the assumptions others project. Whitney’s humanity included triumphs and struggles, but on that day, she showed up as the professional and gifted artist she always worked to be."
"We owe her the dignity of telling the truth, not repeating myths."
Fans of Whitney Houston showed their support of preserving her memory.
@whitneyhouston/Instagram
@whitneyhouston/Instagram
@whitneyhouston/Instagram
@whitneyhouston/Instagram
@whitneyhouston/Instagram
Though Winfrey was trying to make a point about her audience and how she could depend on them, fans couldn't help but question her approach to getting that point across.
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Ariana Grande Has Hilariously Iconic Reaction After Accidentally Sharing NSFW Photo On Instagram
That's what happened to singer and actor Ariana Grande after she accidentally included a shot of her bare breast in an IG photo carousel.
@arianagrande/Instagram
But unlike most of us who'd immediately delete it and run away screaming, Grande's response has fans applauding.
In the photo, Grande is crouching down to pet a dog in a light gingham dress.
But at least presumably unbeknownst to her, the dress was gaping open at the neck in that position. Look closely, and you can see Grande's entire breast exposed.
Or at least, it seems that way. Some theorized it's actually just a combination of shadows and light shining through the fabric that just LOOKS like her breast.
Either way, Grande's fans definitely caught it.
But Grande seems totally unfazed. For starters, the photo is still live in the photo dump she posted as of this writing.
Seems Instagram itself hasn't even noticed, since a "nip slip" of this magnitude would definitely be a terms of service violation for the app.
But just in case there was any confusion over whether Grande was embarrassed or ashamed, she reposted the photo to her Instagram Story to make sure no one missed it.
But she didn't stop there. She also reposted an iconic skit she filmed in 2023 with her former Nickelodeon costar Elizabeth Gillies, with whom she appeared in the show Victorious in the 2010s.
In the skit, Grande and Gillies reimagine the infamous scene in the notoriously campy film Showgirls in which Gina Gershon compliments Elisabeth Berkeley's breasts.
Grande played Berkeley's character Nomi Malone, with Gillies playing Gershon's Cristal Connors.
In the scene, with the film's hilarious lack of subtlety, Cristal Connors tells Nomi Malone:
"You have great t*ts. They're really beautiful."
To which Malone responds with a proud, "thank you" as the two toast their champagne.
Grande defiantly reposting the scene had people applauding even harder than they did when she posted the original photo.
Grande is currently touring, with her The Eternal Sunshine Tour heading to Austin, Boston, Chicago and a lengthy residency in London, among other cities. Her new album petal drops in the middle of the tour on July 31.
As for her "nip slip," it's hard to argue with her fans—it IS just a breast, and it really shouldn't be that big of a deal.
But then, the fact that it's a big deal is the whole reason we're all enjoying her hilariously nonchalant response. Silver linings!