WEBVTT - Loving and Losing Whitney Houston: Robyn Crawford Speaks Out

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, fam I'm Jada Pinkett Smith and this is the

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<v Speaker 1>Red Table Pop podcast, all your favorite episodes from the

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<v Speaker 1>I Heart Radio. Please don't forget to rate and review

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<v Speaker 1>on Apple podcasts on this Red Table talk. Hey Robbert.

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<v Speaker 1>For twenty years, she was Whitney Houston's closest friend and confidante.

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<v Speaker 1>You're like an urban myth. Now Robin Crawford is breaking

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<v Speaker 1>her silence. This is the conversation I most wanted to do,

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<v Speaker 1>sharing the closely guarded truth about their relationship. We were

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<v Speaker 1>intimate on all levels. The situation was out of control.

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<v Speaker 1>There's always these stories about you and Bobby. Did you

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<v Speaker 1>guys ever have a physical altercation? Now Robin Crawford is

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<v Speaker 1>here at the Red Table to set the record straight

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<v Speaker 1>about her life with the legendary Whitney Houston. Read your

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<v Speaker 1>book and I was in from page one when you

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<v Speaker 1>I don't want to cry when you said it's a

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<v Speaker 1>love letter to Whitney, and that resonated as just so powerful.

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<v Speaker 1>It was so healing from me in so many different ways.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, it's hard to love someone who you know

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<v Speaker 1>has had a legacy at the level that she has

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<v Speaker 1>had and then to lose them under tragic circumstances. Because

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<v Speaker 1>I have a very similar situation. What made you decide

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<v Speaker 1>that the time was now to tell your story in

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<v Speaker 1>regards to your relationship with Withney. Well, first of all,

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<v Speaker 1>let me say that at I had great comfort in

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<v Speaker 1>my silence, but over the years I began to feel

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<v Speaker 1>my silence shake and everything I heard or read it

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<v Speaker 1>wasn't accurate. But when Whitney's daughter Bobby Christina passed, that

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<v Speaker 1>was the first time that I really felt the need

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<v Speaker 1>to ask the question to Whitney, what would you want

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<v Speaker 1>me to do? Yeah? What would you want me to do?

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<v Speaker 1>And that's when I felt the need to stand up,

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<v Speaker 1>you know, to stand up for my friend's legacy, to

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<v Speaker 1>lift it, because it seemed like your role in her

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<v Speaker 1>life was that of a protector, so you had to

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<v Speaker 1>be a warrior with Whitney. What were some of the

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<v Speaker 1>things about and legacy did you felt was being tarnished Whitney?

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<v Speaker 1>I felt a need to share who the person was

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<v Speaker 1>behind the extraordinary talent. That's all I kept hearing. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>she had this, she had that, then she just tossed

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<v Speaker 1>it all the way like she was under so much

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<v Speaker 1>pressure all the time I was there. I felt it

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<v Speaker 1>was necessary to talk about the Whitney that I know,

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<v Speaker 1>who was thoughtful with her generosity. It's my duty to

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<v Speaker 1>do that. You know a lot of times you hear

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<v Speaker 1>stuff about you know, whatever that she had with different artists,

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<v Speaker 1>what have you. And my interaction with Whitney, she was

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<v Speaker 1>just one of the most down the earth, you know, loving.

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<v Speaker 1>She didn't bring any of that to the table all.

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<v Speaker 1>She was just a lot of fun. I'm gonna go

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<v Speaker 1>back a little bit when you guys first met as teenagers.

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<v Speaker 1>You had two women who met each other, who had

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<v Speaker 1>a connection whose intention wasn't necessarily to fall in love.

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<v Speaker 1>We were we just were. Yeah, our friendship was deep,

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<v Speaker 1>We were intimate on all levels. Yeah, there was no

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<v Speaker 1>shame in the physical, absolute moments that we shared. There

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<v Speaker 1>there was no shame. In Robin's book, she describes her

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<v Speaker 1>romantic relationship with Whitney. They bonded immediately and were inseparable.

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<v Speaker 1>Soon they became physical and at a sexual relationship that

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<v Speaker 1>lasted for two years. Whitney and I first met at

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<v Speaker 1>the community Development center where we were summer counselors. I

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<v Speaker 1>was nineteen and she was sixteen. Soon returned seventeen. One

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<v Speaker 1>day after camp, we were just talking. There was something

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<v Speaker 1>there that made us connect, and then at one moment

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<v Speaker 1>we both just met and you know, our mouths touched,

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<v Speaker 1>and that was our first kiss. It was awesome. We

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<v Speaker 1>weren't hiding the physical aspect of our friendship. We weren't

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<v Speaker 1>hiding it, but we knew that. I mean, it was ours,

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<v Speaker 1>it was ours, but Whitney's mom had to love. I

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<v Speaker 1>call it fever about our closeness, and it was like,

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<v Speaker 1>I need Robin here where I'm going. I need someone

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<v Speaker 1>who knows me. Now. What do you think her mother's

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<v Speaker 1>uncomfortability was? I called her Mrs Houston got it. She

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<v Speaker 1>knows how I feel about her. I wrote her a

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<v Speaker 1>note after Whitney passed. Mr Houston knows I loved Whitney

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<v Speaker 1>and Whitney loved me. But I always sensed a bitterness

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<v Speaker 1>and her mom because I thought her daughter is so awesome,

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<v Speaker 1>that there was so much to be joyful about. If anything,

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<v Speaker 1>Whitney would listen to me, and that would bother Mrs Houston.

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<v Speaker 1>But I think the only reason why Whitney listened to

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<v Speaker 1>me is because I listened to her. Just after Whitney

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<v Speaker 1>signed her first record deal, she gave Robbing a Bible

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<v Speaker 1>and told her they could no longer be physically intimate.

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<v Speaker 1>She said, I have something for you, and she placed

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<v Speaker 1>the Bible in my hands. She said, I don't believe

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<v Speaker 1>that we should be physical any longer. That it would

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<v Speaker 1>make our journey much harder if they found out about it.

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<v Speaker 1>But she also said, living that kind of life, you

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<v Speaker 1>could go to hell. Her mom also had told Whitney

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<v Speaker 1>that it was not natural for two women to be

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<v Speaker 1>as close as we were. Even though they ended their

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<v Speaker 1>physical relationship, their emotional connection continued. They used empty pages

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<v Speaker 1>in their Bible to write goodbye love letters to each other.

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<v Speaker 1>We in ribed our loyalty, our dedication, Oh thank you,

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<v Speaker 1>and I care. Is that the actual Bible? Is it? Oh? Wow?

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<v Speaker 1>Wow wow wow wow. So you guys wrote each other,

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<v Speaker 1>we inscribed on the back of the book. Because God

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<v Speaker 1>was there too. I wasn't blindsided by her saying that

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<v Speaker 1>we should not be physical anymore. What she chose her

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<v Speaker 1>path to sing that was a gift that she was

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<v Speaker 1>blessed with, and she wanted to serve and what she

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<v Speaker 1>knew that she had to take that piece, that physical

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<v Speaker 1>piece out so that it would not interfere with because

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<v Speaker 1>of the times interfere with what she knew she was

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<v Speaker 1>born to do. Knowing that she didn't have to lose you.

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<v Speaker 1>Mm hmm, that's powerful sacrifice, Okay, Knowing that she didn't

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<v Speaker 1>have to lose you, that she could still have your strength,

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<v Speaker 1>your friendship, your love, she said, love me unconditional. There

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<v Speaker 1>it is. She was worth that. There's a lot of

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<v Speaker 1>Whitney out there, and she just didn't let a lot

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<v Speaker 1>of people know her. Yeah, And a lot of people

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<v Speaker 1>have a difficult time understanding relationships of that manner because

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<v Speaker 1>everybody thinks the highest grade of of relating is romantic

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<v Speaker 1>and sexual, and it's not. Even when we get into

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<v Speaker 1>lifetime committed relationships, we start to realize those components aren't everything.

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<v Speaker 1>Whitney and Robin continue to feel possessive towards each other.

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<v Speaker 1>Years after they ended their physical relationship, Whitney grew suspicious

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<v Speaker 1>that Robin had slept with a backup dancer and angrily

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<v Speaker 1>confronted her. She was really upset and my bi, but

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<v Speaker 1>I kept it over my bed and she just grabbed

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<v Speaker 1>it and ripped out the back page, and she started

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<v Speaker 1>tearing it up, ripping it a little pieces. Did she

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<v Speaker 1>ever explain why? Whitney wasn't an explainer. She didn't explain things.

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<v Speaker 1>She went right for it and just ripped, just ripped

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<v Speaker 1>it out, and I picked up the pieces and I

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<v Speaker 1>put it in the envelope. Whitney was one of few words,

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<v Speaker 1>although her mouth could go and you could not keep

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<v Speaker 1>up with her. And she loved girl talking like she

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<v Speaker 1>would love this, this red table. She'd be sitting in

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<v Speaker 1>the middle right there. She she would, she would, and

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<v Speaker 1>it would have been great for her to be because

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<v Speaker 1>she needed moments like that, just talking talking. I understood

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<v Speaker 1>because of the complex relationship I've had with Pock and

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<v Speaker 1>those moments of his who's that knowing? Damn well, there

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<v Speaker 1>ain't nothing like that between us. Him feeling like you're

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<v Speaker 1>the only stability I got. I can't afford for you

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<v Speaker 1>to put that attention elsewhere. I need that stability. So

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<v Speaker 1>for him, it was we were an anchor for each other.

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<v Speaker 1>So anytime he felt like that anchor was threatened. Oh

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<v Speaker 1>my god. That's a good point because people will think, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>she was jealous, or that's jealousy. No, it is possessive

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<v Speaker 1>and protective because it's a process. It's a lot of things.

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<v Speaker 1>I didn't understand why I was in it, you know

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<v Speaker 1>what I mean. I mean we were young, yes, fearless,

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<v Speaker 1>ready for the world, but we didn't. We couldn't have

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<v Speaker 1>all the forces that were coming at once. It's overwhelming,

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<v Speaker 1>and I don't think people understand that she was a baby.

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<v Speaker 1>We both were. On July, just weeks before twenty ninth birthday,

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<v Speaker 1>Whitney Houston, the biggest pop star on the planet, married

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<v Speaker 1>Bobby Brown, the notorious bad boy of R and B superstar,

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<v Speaker 1>six years her junior. The lavish ceremony included a forty

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<v Speaker 1>dollar gown with custom beaded headpiece, eighteen tier wedding cake,

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<v Speaker 1>and white doves released as the couple sealed their vows

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<v Speaker 1>with a kiss. Robin Ever, the loyal friend, stood by

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<v Speaker 1>his Whitney's maid of honor, A sawt footage of you

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<v Speaker 1>at her wedding day as her maid of honor. Robin.

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<v Speaker 1>When I saw you in that footage, my heart was

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<v Speaker 1>just bleating all in my lap. Thinking back on that wedding,

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<v Speaker 1>it was a crazy day. I bet there were people

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<v Speaker 1>walking around. I mean, you had over eight hundred guests,

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<v Speaker 1>and I was honored to be her maid of honor. Right,

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<v Speaker 1>were you ready for her to be married, having her

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<v Speaker 1>cement her life for the rest of her life with

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<v Speaker 1>someone else. Yeah, if if, if that's what, if that's

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<v Speaker 1>what she wanted, I would be there for her. I

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<v Speaker 1>wanted Whitney to have the life that she wanted for herself,

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<v Speaker 1>her own family. I did. I remember looking in her

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<v Speaker 1>eyes when when you're like face the face, and in

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<v Speaker 1>my mind, she's about to submit her life with what

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<v Speaker 1>someone else, you know, and I hoped that it would

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<v Speaker 1>be fruitful for her. Did you have any feelings about

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<v Speaker 1>her marry and Bobby? She told me she loved him.

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<v Speaker 1>I had heard the rumors about him when she told

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<v Speaker 1>me that he had asked her to marry him, and

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<v Speaker 1>I asked her, when you love him? She said, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I do. I love him. And then she asked me,

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<v Speaker 1>and I was not ready for this question, do you

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<v Speaker 1>think he loves me? And I said, honestly, Nip, I

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<v Speaker 1>really don't know him that well. There's always these stories

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<v Speaker 1>about you and Bobby. Did you guys ever have a

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<v Speaker 1>physical altercation? There were no ever last shorts and gloves

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<v Speaker 1>ever he did get my face a couple of times,

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<v Speaker 1>like something foolish, and he never came to me and

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<v Speaker 1>asked me anything about concerning my past with with me.

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<v Speaker 1>I know that when she came back from her honeymoon

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<v Speaker 1>and she had that gash on her face, Yep, did

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<v Speaker 1>you ever explain to you how that got there? I

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<v Speaker 1>asked her. She said, I threw a glass against the

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<v Speaker 1>wall and it shattered and I got cut right. But

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<v Speaker 1>the cut was like from here to there, it's about

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<v Speaker 1>three four inches long. Flying glass doesn't do that. So

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<v Speaker 1>but I never pressed her. I was like, you love

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<v Speaker 1>this man, and it's not right to stand by someone

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<v Speaker 1>and then think ill of it. That wasn't me. But

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<v Speaker 1>the more I saw and heard, and the messier it got,

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<v Speaker 1>I thought she get tired of it. I mean, Whitney

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<v Speaker 1>had a lot of pride and a strong will, But

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<v Speaker 1>every time I thought that would be it, it wasn't.

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<v Speaker 1>As Whitney and Bobby's to Ultra's relationship continued, headlines and

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<v Speaker 1>drama followed. Their marriage went from rocky to explosive. Whitney

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<v Speaker 1>went to surprise Bobby in Atlanta after knocking on his

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<v Speaker 1>door several times. Outcomes Bobby in a rage, saying I

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<v Speaker 1>don't want you here, and he's spit in her face.

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<v Speaker 1>She ran down the hall and Bobby picked up a

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<v Speaker 1>glass and threw it, and Whitney picked up the phone

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<v Speaker 1>to call her father. That's when Bobby snatched the phone

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<v Speaker 1>from her and head over the head with it. I

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<v Speaker 1>still had the keep, and when I would go up

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<v Speaker 1>to the house, they would be in the back in

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<v Speaker 1>her room. I wouldn't see them. I could be up

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<v Speaker 1>there like for hours and I wouldn't see it. He

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<v Speaker 1>had her to himself. She was isolated, but there was

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<v Speaker 1>an aspect of you that thought that she she could

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<v Speaker 1>hand to herself. Oh yeah, Like Whitney did not like

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<v Speaker 1>come intation. But if you backed her up against the wall,

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<v Speaker 1>she let you know. That's how she was, like, you know,

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<v Speaker 1>did I ask you? I think that's an important point.

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<v Speaker 1>When our loved ones pass on because of tragic circumstances,

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<v Speaker 1>sometimes those of us who are left behind, who love

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<v Speaker 1>them people tend to put more responsibility on us than

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<v Speaker 1>remembering that that person made choices. It's a painful thing

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<v Speaker 1>to have to confront that we all make choices that

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<v Speaker 1>get us to certain places, and we look back and go, well,

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<v Speaker 1>if you had done that, if you had stayed, if

0:17:45.000 --> 0:17:46.919
<v Speaker 1>you did it it, maybe things would have been different.

0:17:46.960 --> 0:17:50.399
<v Speaker 1>But at the end of the day, Whitney there were

0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:54.919
<v Speaker 1>certain choices that she was making, and she lived the

0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:58.760
<v Speaker 1>life of our choices. If you're talking about the self

0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:05.080
<v Speaker 1>abuse or addiction, I believe that Whitney was stuck. She

0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.639
<v Speaker 1>didn't like feeling pitiful. I mean, that was a tough

0:18:11.119 --> 0:18:15.359
<v Speaker 1>If you were annoying, she kept you away, got it,

0:18:15.600 --> 0:18:19.680
<v Speaker 1>she want to be bothered with you. After twenty years

0:18:19.680 --> 0:18:23.399
<v Speaker 1>side by side, Robin Crawford made the painful decision to

0:18:23.440 --> 0:18:27.520
<v Speaker 1>stop working with Whitney. After an argument with Whitney and Bobby,

0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:31.480
<v Speaker 1>Robin had had enough. We went out to Los Angeles.

0:18:31.560 --> 0:18:38.240
<v Speaker 1>It was just cancelation after cancelation, the firing at the Oscars,

0:18:38.520 --> 0:18:42.880
<v Speaker 1>and Bobby was traveling with us, and which never makes

0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:47.000
<v Speaker 1>it easy. I went to Fred Segal and I purchased

0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:52.040
<v Speaker 1>George Michael a button down black shirt since we had

0:18:52.440 --> 0:18:54.800
<v Speaker 1>run him around for a while, we had canceled three

0:18:54.800 --> 0:18:59.800
<v Speaker 1>sessions with him. Just a kind gesture and Bobby erupted

0:19:00.320 --> 0:19:03.480
<v Speaker 1>with Bobby screaming in my face at all that stress

0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:07.600
<v Speaker 1>and worry about with me. I was at a breaking point.

0:19:09.320 --> 0:19:15.280
<v Speaker 1>It wasn't just Bobby, there was everything. When you made

0:19:15.320 --> 0:19:17.800
<v Speaker 1>the decision that it was time for you to walk away,

0:19:19.760 --> 0:19:41.800
<v Speaker 1>And I can only I know mm hmm, and know

0:19:41.920 --> 0:19:44.600
<v Speaker 1>the depths of that struggle, you know, having had to

0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:52.760
<v Speaker 1>do what I'm as well. You know, did you have

0:19:53.000 --> 0:19:58.560
<v Speaker 1>any hope then in you making the decision to walk

0:19:58.560 --> 0:20:03.159
<v Speaker 1>away that it would change something? And what do you

0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:08.040
<v Speaker 1>think needed to change in order for you to remain?

0:20:09.600 --> 0:20:14.080
<v Speaker 1>When I made that decision, I never once thought or

0:20:14.160 --> 0:20:20.520
<v Speaker 1>believed that I was leaving with me. Wow, okay, okay.

0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:27.120
<v Speaker 1>I needed her to stop and think about herself and

0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:32.719
<v Speaker 1>look at where we were, and her world looked like

0:20:32.880 --> 0:20:38.480
<v Speaker 1>what it was. So many people she wasn't paying attention.

0:20:39.359 --> 0:20:42.879
<v Speaker 1>The situation was out of control, and I felt like

0:20:42.960 --> 0:20:45.280
<v Speaker 1>I had done all that I could do in the

0:20:45.359 --> 0:20:51.320
<v Speaker 1>current climate of what Nippy Ink was at that time. Now, Robin,

0:20:51.480 --> 0:20:54.600
<v Speaker 1>that's a big clear up right there, because a lot

0:20:54.680 --> 0:20:59.960
<v Speaker 1>of us, and they think a lot of us thought

0:21:00.160 --> 0:21:03.080
<v Speaker 1>you've left for a much different reason that I left

0:21:03.119 --> 0:21:06.760
<v Speaker 1>because of Bobby, And that's that's not true. Bobby was annoying.

0:21:07.840 --> 0:21:10.600
<v Speaker 1>He was very annoying, and you never knew when he

0:21:10.680 --> 0:21:17.639
<v Speaker 1>would just here we go again, and he would get jealous,

0:21:18.200 --> 0:21:24.160
<v Speaker 1>and there was too many people around, and Whitney had

0:21:24.240 --> 0:21:28.159
<v Speaker 1>lost focus. You know the rumor that I gave her

0:21:28.200 --> 0:21:32.520
<v Speaker 1>an ultimatum. You don't give Whitney ultimatum. No, you don't

0:21:32.520 --> 0:21:36.560
<v Speaker 1>do that. And I didn't have to. She knew how

0:21:36.600 --> 0:21:41.080
<v Speaker 1>I felt, and she knew I would tell her. I

0:21:41.240 --> 0:21:49.240
<v Speaker 1>never once believed that she would fall. Wow, swimming is

0:21:49.280 --> 0:21:52.639
<v Speaker 1>what she loved to do. I mean, girl could swim.

0:21:52.800 --> 0:21:55.320
<v Speaker 1>She loved the water. And that's why passing in the

0:21:55.320 --> 0:21:59.199
<v Speaker 1>water just so so crazy, like hard for me to

0:21:59.240 --> 0:22:04.800
<v Speaker 1>wrap my heart and head around. On February eleven, the

0:22:04.840 --> 0:22:08.480
<v Speaker 1>world was heartbroken to discover that Whitney Houston had tragically died.

0:22:09.240 --> 0:22:11.560
<v Speaker 1>It was the day before the Grammys, and Whitney was

0:22:11.560 --> 0:22:14.560
<v Speaker 1>bathing in her hotel room. She slipped under the water.

0:22:15.320 --> 0:22:18.040
<v Speaker 1>The final Corner's report confirmed that Whitney had been a

0:22:18.119 --> 0:22:21.400
<v Speaker 1>victim of an accidental drowning brought on by heart disease

0:22:21.560 --> 0:22:28.560
<v Speaker 1>and longtime cocaine abuse. When Whitney passed, it was I

0:22:28.600 --> 0:22:32.640
<v Speaker 1>was flooded with emotions. I was angry. Yeah, I just

0:22:32.680 --> 0:22:35.880
<v Speaker 1>had to get myself together. It made me sad when

0:22:36.000 --> 0:22:41.639
<v Speaker 1>Whitney passed and you said she should have never been alone. Yeah,

0:22:42.200 --> 0:22:45.280
<v Speaker 1>it made me really sad because I was like, there

0:22:45.359 --> 0:22:51.199
<v Speaker 1>was a time she wasn't. You know, she had an

0:22:51.200 --> 0:22:55.800
<v Speaker 1>event right that day, she had the big event, but

0:22:55.920 --> 0:23:02.159
<v Speaker 1>she also had two other on camera things that she

0:23:02.280 --> 0:23:06.680
<v Speaker 1>was doing before that, a whole list of things to do.

0:23:06.920 --> 0:23:09.800
<v Speaker 1>You've got people working for you. Where the hell are

0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:15.000
<v Speaker 1>they after that faithful day? You know, my life was

0:23:15.080 --> 0:23:19.040
<v Speaker 1>filled with strangers walking up to me feeling like had

0:23:19.080 --> 0:23:25.840
<v Speaker 1>I been there, she'd still be here. Of course, that's

0:23:25.840 --> 0:23:29.080
<v Speaker 1>a lot to even pull in, but what I do

0:23:29.320 --> 0:23:37.120
<v Speaker 1>know is that she would not have been alone. It

0:23:37.200 --> 0:23:42.280
<v Speaker 1>pains me that she's not here physically. That's kind of selfish,

0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:47.960
<v Speaker 1>but she and Chrissy have each other. Nearly three years

0:23:48.000 --> 0:23:50.919
<v Speaker 1>to the day of her mother's death, Whitney's only child,

0:23:51.320 --> 0:23:55.680
<v Speaker 1>Bobby Christina Brown, was found unresponsive underwater in a bathtub.

0:23:56.119 --> 0:24:01.040
<v Speaker 1>Just like her mother. She never begainn business and died

0:24:01.080 --> 0:24:06.200
<v Speaker 1>six months later. The manner of death is officially undetermined,

0:24:06.520 --> 0:24:09.639
<v Speaker 1>but the medical examiner found a toxic combination of drugs

0:24:09.640 --> 0:24:16.000
<v Speaker 1>and alcohol in her system. When Chrissie left us, I

0:24:16.119 --> 0:24:22.960
<v Speaker 1>felt for her without her mom, because I had witnessed

0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:29.280
<v Speaker 1>the bond that they shared in the studio on stage.

0:24:29.520 --> 0:24:34.560
<v Speaker 1>She loved that child and that little girl loved her mother.

0:24:35.600 --> 0:24:40.320
<v Speaker 1>So when her mom left, I knew she was lonely,

0:24:41.359 --> 0:24:46.359
<v Speaker 1>but I honestly believed that she would be okay. I

0:24:46.480 --> 0:24:50.320
<v Speaker 1>wanted to believe that her hand was being held. But

0:24:50.480 --> 0:24:54.840
<v Speaker 1>Sylvia Vahar, who was Whitney's personal assistant, she kept calling

0:24:54.880 --> 0:24:58.280
<v Speaker 1>me and she said that little girl needs help. I

0:24:58.320 --> 0:25:03.679
<v Speaker 1>didn't think for one second that you know, I call it,

0:25:03.760 --> 0:25:07.840
<v Speaker 1>you know, let her hand go. Was that message that

0:25:07.960 --> 0:25:10.680
<v Speaker 1>you received. You talk about that in the book where

0:25:10.720 --> 0:25:14.200
<v Speaker 1>she Whitney would call over the years and leave messages.

0:25:14.400 --> 0:25:18.160
<v Speaker 1>This was the wee hours. It was like about close

0:25:18.240 --> 0:25:20.760
<v Speaker 1>to four in the morning. I checked my messages. I

0:25:20.880 --> 0:25:23.119
<v Speaker 1>just heard this voice and I heard my name, and

0:25:23.160 --> 0:25:27.600
<v Speaker 1>it was like robbin in that way that would get

0:25:27.640 --> 0:25:32.560
<v Speaker 1>my attention, right. I thought she'd called back. The numbers restricted,

0:25:32.800 --> 0:25:36.080
<v Speaker 1>it's always restricted. I can't call back. But I wish

0:25:36.119 --> 0:25:41.000
<v Speaker 1>I would have just taking the necessary steps to reach her.

0:25:41.080 --> 0:25:45.520
<v Speaker 1>But I heard that voice and you knew and speaking

0:25:45.600 --> 0:25:48.000
<v Speaker 1>for me. I feel like I was waiting for her

0:25:48.840 --> 0:25:52.680
<v Speaker 1>and she was waiting for me. And time just don't wait.

0:25:54.320 --> 0:26:00.640
<v Speaker 1>I understand that one don't wait. You know, no one

0:26:00.680 --> 0:26:04.320
<v Speaker 1>ever really dies. We keep them with us, the truth.

0:26:05.040 --> 0:26:07.159
<v Speaker 1>I tell people all the time. I'm like, and you

0:26:07.240 --> 0:26:10.120
<v Speaker 1>don't get over it. You just learn how to cope

0:26:10.920 --> 0:26:16.760
<v Speaker 1>without having them here. If you had a chance that

0:26:16.840 --> 0:26:19.959
<v Speaker 1>I could disappear right now and Whitney would take my place,

0:26:21.040 --> 0:26:23.919
<v Speaker 1>and all these cameras were shut off and Mr just

0:26:24.040 --> 0:26:27.720
<v Speaker 1>you and her in the room, what would you want

0:26:27.760 --> 0:26:34.000
<v Speaker 1>to say to her? I would want to say, you

0:26:34.080 --> 0:26:42.640
<v Speaker 1>know that you know I love you and I got you.

0:26:43.240 --> 0:26:50.320
<v Speaker 1>I will represent I love that girl like yesterday, and

0:26:50.440 --> 0:26:54.760
<v Speaker 1>she's with me all the time. I understand. After Robin

0:26:54.800 --> 0:26:59.040
<v Speaker 1>stopped working with Whitney, she married Lisa Hendelman, a publicist

0:26:59.040 --> 0:27:02.040
<v Speaker 1>she met during the body Guard. They have two children.

0:27:02.640 --> 0:27:05.120
<v Speaker 1>Early on, they came to an understanding that when Whitney

0:27:05.160 --> 0:27:10.200
<v Speaker 1>called or showed up at the door, they would welcome her. Hi. Hello.

0:27:12.920 --> 0:27:15.960
<v Speaker 1>I really wanted to have a moment to talk to you,

0:27:16.480 --> 0:27:19.520
<v Speaker 1>because I know when Robin had said to you that

0:27:19.560 --> 0:27:22.520
<v Speaker 1>if Whitney calls, we've got to leave the door open.

0:27:23.080 --> 0:27:27.199
<v Speaker 1>What was it that made you open to that? You know,

0:27:27.359 --> 0:27:30.800
<v Speaker 1>Robin had committed to me um that she was going

0:27:30.920 --> 0:27:35.200
<v Speaker 1>to focus on our life Whitney. When she was still alive,

0:27:35.800 --> 0:27:38.479
<v Speaker 1>people would call, Robin, did you hear that this happened?

0:27:38.560 --> 0:27:40.760
<v Speaker 1>Or did you read the Whitney did this? And you

0:27:40.760 --> 0:27:43.040
<v Speaker 1>know my line was, you know, she goes to the

0:27:43.040 --> 0:27:45.480
<v Speaker 1>bathroom and someone calls you to tell you, and you

0:27:45.520 --> 0:27:49.600
<v Speaker 1>know that was you know, it was frustrating, but I

0:27:49.720 --> 0:27:52.920
<v Speaker 1>knew how important they were to each other. We met

0:27:52.960 --> 0:27:55.600
<v Speaker 1>because of Whitney. Then I also felt for Whitney. I

0:27:55.720 --> 0:27:59.720
<v Speaker 1>felt for her her troubles and her struggles, and I

0:28:00.160 --> 0:28:03.439
<v Speaker 1>firsthand how supportive Robin can be and how strong she

0:28:03.560 --> 0:28:06.239
<v Speaker 1>can be. So I understood that that's what she was

0:28:06.280 --> 0:28:08.720
<v Speaker 1>for Whitney. So if she called, of course we would

0:28:08.720 --> 0:28:12.439
<v Speaker 1>have welcomed her. When Robin first told you that she

0:28:12.520 --> 0:28:16.439
<v Speaker 1>wanted to write this book, what were your thoughts? I

0:28:16.520 --> 0:28:21.800
<v Speaker 1>totally understood and agreed with Robin's desire to kind of

0:28:21.800 --> 0:28:27.879
<v Speaker 1>clear the air of misperceptions and more importantly, to to

0:28:28.080 --> 0:28:30.760
<v Speaker 1>lift with me. And you know, I had I was

0:28:31.200 --> 0:28:35.200
<v Speaker 1>well aware of her greatness and also saddened by how

0:28:35.240 --> 0:28:39.360
<v Speaker 1>people were presenting her, and I really felt that doing

0:28:39.400 --> 0:28:44.160
<v Speaker 1>that might sort of complete things for her and allow

0:28:44.240 --> 0:28:48.320
<v Speaker 1>her to fully, you know, enjoy the rest of her

0:28:48.360 --> 0:28:54.840
<v Speaker 1>life as beautiful and even in my own situation is

0:28:54.920 --> 0:29:00.360
<v Speaker 1>deeply healing. We have a very relatable circumstance and that,

0:29:00.680 --> 0:29:04.000
<v Speaker 1>you know, So this was good for me and it's

0:29:04.000 --> 0:29:06.000
<v Speaker 1>really nice to see the two of you here together

0:29:06.120 --> 0:29:09.320
<v Speaker 1>too and actually feel the connection. So thank you, thank

0:29:09.360 --> 0:29:12.680
<v Speaker 1>you for being here with us. I appreciate that's Red

0:29:12.720 --> 0:29:19.360
<v Speaker 1>Table Table Talk, real talk. Hey r t T family,

0:29:19.760 --> 0:29:22.320
<v Speaker 1>Join our Red Table Talk group on Facebook has become

0:29:22.400 --> 0:29:26.200
<v Speaker 1>part of the conversation and be sure to follow the

0:29:26.240 --> 0:29:30.680
<v Speaker 1>show page to catch up on all our episodes. Yea

0:29:34.720 --> 0:29:40.120
<v Speaker 1>perfect thank you. All right, Hey, I'm here with Robin Crawford.

0:29:40.240 --> 0:29:43.400
<v Speaker 1>We had a beautiful conversation today about her book A

0:29:43.560 --> 0:29:47.800
<v Speaker 1>Song for You My Life with Whitney Houston swife Clock.

0:29:48.080 --> 0:29:55.440
<v Speaker 1>It's a good one to join the Red Table Talk

0:29:55.480 --> 0:29:58.200
<v Speaker 1>family and become a part of the conversation. Follow us

0:29:58.240 --> 0:30:01.800
<v Speaker 1>at Facebook dot com lash red Table Talk. Thanks for

0:30:01.880 --> 0:30:05.160
<v Speaker 1>listening to this episode of Red Table Talk podcast produced

0:30:05.160 --> 0:30:08.680
<v Speaker 1>by Facebook Watch, Westbrook Audio, and I Heart Radio.