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Whitney Houston Biopic Highlights Queer Relationship, Star Confirms
"It’s a part of Whitney’s story," says Naomi Ackie.
Naomi Ackie is Whitney Houston in the upcoming biopic I Wanna Dance With Somebody cataloging the life and loves and the iconic pop superstar.
In the ten years since her 2012 death, Robyn Crawford has publicly confirmed her romantic relationship with Houston early on in her career. It was cut short in the 1980s, around the time Houston's career was taking off, after she broke up with Crawford by giving her a bible. “She said if people find out about us, they would use this against us, and back in the ‘80s that’s how it felt," Crawford wrote, but the two remained friends over the years.
This latest biopic will acknowledge the two women's romance in a way we've never seen before. Ackie talked about the important part of her story to Attitude, calling the storyline liberating. "The love between Robyn and Whitney was so pure and real and dynamic. It moved, it shifted, they never put a name on it. And I just love that. It’s a part of Whitney’s story."
Ackie goes on to say she wouldn't have been a part of the film if they'd chosen to leave it out. “It deserves to be told. So, to be honest with you, if that wasn’t in the script, I don’t think I would have done the project because it feels like continuing a false narrative that doesn’t feel truthful.”
She stars in the film alongside Nafessa Williams, Stanley Tucci and Ashton Sanders. Ackie herself is a massive fan of Houston, and knows how important the representation is here.
“It matters, and that’s me as a young Black girl. There’s so much more stories to be told. If I can be a part of helping that representation, giving people more confidence to then step up and tell their own stories, because some of these experiences aren’t mine. And if I can be, in the same way that Whitney was that for us growing up, if I can do that a little bit so someone can stand on my shoulders 10 years down the line and be like ‘Ok, because Na did it, I can now do it and take it a step further and better than she did,’ please, by all means.”
In the meantime, “We’re not there yet where we can sit back and just be like ‘it’s all going to work out fine.’ We have to keep pushing. There’s still work to do.”
I Wanna Dance With Somebody premieres December 23, 2022 in theaters. Watch the trailer below:
I WANNA DANCE WITH SOMEBODY - Official Trailer (HD)www.youtube.com
The one and only Whitney Houston.
The film will premiere internationally in theaters on December 23, 2022.
No, she's lip-syncing to Houston's voice throughout the film.
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
Taylor Henderson is a PRIDE.com contributor. This proud Texas Bama studied Media Production/Studies and Sociology at The University of Texas at Austin, where he developed his passions for pop culture, writing, and videography. He's absolutely obsessed with Beyoncé, mangoes, and cheesy YA novels that allow him to vicariously experience the teen years he spent in the closet. He's also writing one!
