Cissy Houston opens up to Oprah: 'I was a wreck'

Whitney Houston's mom wipes away tears as she recalls her daughter's death - and life.

Oprah Winfrey talks to Whitney Houston's mom, Cissy, on Monday's 'Oprah's Next Chapter' on OWN (Photo: OWN)

Gospel singer Cissy Houston sits down with Oprah Winfrey for an interview, marking the one-year anniversary of daughter Whitney Houston's Feb. 11 death.

Cissy, 79, has written a memoir, Remembering Whitney, and Oprah asks her about her memories, along with her thoughts on Whitney's daughter, Bobbi Kristina, drugs and rumors that Whitney was involved in a gay relationship with her assistant. More than once in the chat, airing tonight on OWN at 10 p.m., it appears from clips, Cissy wipes away tears.

One particularly moving moment comes as Oprah notes that Cissy begins the book recalling where she was when she found out her daughter had died. She recounts the scene for Oprah:

"My son called me and he was screaming, 'Mom, Mommy,' "Then, oh God. I said, 'What is wrong, what's wrong?' He just said, 'Nippy. Nippy.' I said, 'What's wrong with Nippy?' " (Nippy is what the family called Whitney.)

"He said, 'I don't know, I can't go back up there ... ,' " referring to the singer's Beverly Hilton room.

" 'They found Nippy.' I said, 'They found her what, what?' " Houston said. "And I was getting annoyed because he wasn't telling me anything.

"He said, 'Mommy — ' I said, 'Is she dead?' And he said, 'Yeah, Mommy, she's dead.' And I don't remember too much else after that."

Cissy, shaking her head, says she was alone at the time of the call. "I was a wreck," she said. "I was just a wreck."

http://www.usatoday.com/s...y/1870089/

Cissy Houston on Whitney: 'She was raised well, she knew better' than to use drugs

Oprah must pay BIG money because everyone seems to love running to her for interviews.

I wont be watching and I dont care to watch Whitneys mother exploit her daughter and throw her under the bus which is all Oprah wants.

banks said:

Cissy Houston on Whitney: 'She was raised well, she knew better' than to use drugs

Cissy said she did what she could to try and pull her daughter back from the brink, but suggested that the confusing world of the music business, being called "Whitey" early on and then the marriage match to Brown led to her daughter seeking self-medication.

"She was giving, loving. She -- just didn't like confusion; turned away from that as much as she could," Cissy told Roker, adding that "I really do" believe that's what led to her drug use.

I think it's probably a very good thing that Cissy is talking openly about the death of her daughter at this point. And who better to talk to than Oprah.

If you're a hater, don't fucking watch the show!! It's that simple.

Oh great. Okra is talking to dead people's parents and kids again. First MJ's kids and mom, Whitney's kid, and now her mom. Good Lawd.

Wow. Grieving high profile mothers and Oprah is the first one to swoop in to do the interviews. That woman knows no shame.

Why is everyone beating up on Oprah ? Cissy is promoting her book and besides she already spoke with The Today Show ( Today)

[Edited 1/28/13 9:34am]

^^Because she's annoying. And full of herself. And that fake "Ooh, I feel for you" face, when in reality she doesn't give a shit and is just happy to have scored another high profile interview.

I feel sorry for any parent(s) who loses child. Unless you've experience the lose of child, I strongly feel others should respect or at least have a shred of empathy and/or sympathy for those who have. Mother Houston lost her baby to drug addiction; a lot of people have lost their kids to drugs, some will lose their child today. I hope Mother Houston can find a place where she can find some peace and have the pain subside, I feel very sorry for her.

Some people don't like Ms. Winfrey, I get that. Seriously, its an interview that's all that it is; some of the comments here border on the irrational.

I know someone who lost a child last year but she's certainly not trying to make money on it...

Yep Cissy Houston never worked a day in her life and her daughter didn't share her success with her mother before she passed. Of course that runs contrary to those who spoke of Ms. Houston's generous spirit and the absolute reverence she had for her mom. Most children when they "hit it big" hook up mom from jump.... if they don't give anyone else a dime. To reduce her motives of writing a book about her late daughter because she wants more coins seems cynical. Something tells me (as with most parents) if Ms. Houston was offered a chance to give up all of her "stuff" to have her Whitney back, she would do it in less than a heartbeat.

So yeah, goes both ways in questioning her motives.

vainandy said:

banks said:

Cissy Houston on Whitney: 'She was raised well, she knew better' than to use drugs

Cissy said she did what she could to try and pull her daughter back from the brink, but suggested that the confusing world of the music business, being called "Whitey" early on and then the marriage match to Brown led to her daughter seeking self-medication.

"She was giving, loving. She -- just didn't like confusion; turned away from that as much as she could," Cissy told Roker, adding that "I really do" believe that's what led to her drug use.

I saw a part of the interview where Cissy had her hand on Gary's thigh when he explicitly stated that he had started W out on the drugs. Cissy musta had her shoes on too tight that day is all I can think of.

But I have to say there was a lot of bravery in some of the other things I've read about the interview. "Good mothers and good fathers and good families don't always have great children." "It's all their responsibility when they get to a certain age to choose their way." Don't really know how valid that statement is, but it is bold as hell, and quite unexpected. Little bit crazy to hear her quote what some people were saying about "Whitey" Houston. It seems she has no consideration of Clive and his courting of this position from a $ales$ perspective. And even though it was qualified, it was thrilling to hear her set Bobby free. Can't wait to hear some bullshit about Robin.

TD3 said:

I feel sorry for any parent(s) who loses child. Unless you've experience the lose of child, I strongly feel others should respect or at least have a shred of empathy and/or sympathy for those who have. Mother Houston lost her baby to drug addiction; a lot of people have lost their kids to drugs, some will lose their child today. I hope Mother Houston can find a place where she can find some peace and have the pain subside, I feel very sorry for her.

Some people don't like Ms. Winfrey, I get that. Seriously, its an interview that's all that it is; some of the comments here border on the irrational.

How is calling out Oprah and Cissy insisting that people are being inesnsitive?

Cissy has been making tv appearances, tell all books exploiting her daughter. I have every bit of sympathy for her and anybody who loses a child.

HOWEVER, her actions displays that she has a different motive with these interviews and its sickening and very disturbing because it seems she is just exploiting Whitney for money and publicity.

Oprah is going to be the fake and phooney person she is but it baffles me that these people keep running to her when she could care less about them.

We ALL know Whitney had a drug problem but damn why not trying to remember your daughter in a positive light instead of exploiting the negative things. She has ALREADY talked about Whitneys drug issues, its sickening and I dont take back anything I said. I stand by that they are just exploiting Whitney for money and I dont think saying that is being irrational or insensitive, it is what it is.

What's Robin Crawford doing these days? My older cousin Reena says that tongues were wagging from jump about Robin and White.

Ms Trina, did Whitney seriously never give Cissy a dime?

When does this air?

Nevermind.

It's on now.

debbiedean2 said:

Wow, for years everyone blamed Bobby for getting Whitney hooked on drugs and her big brother just admitted to introducing her to cocaine!

Which, I never understood why people kept saying that when even she admitted that Bobby didn't get her hooked on drugs. I knew she had been using cocaine since she was 18. Now, I didn't know it was her brother who introduced drugs to her- that was a revelation for me tonight.

debbiedean2 said:

Wow, for years everyone blamed Bobby for getting Whitney hooked on drugs and her big brother just admitted to introducing her to cocaine!

I think a lot of people knew it wasn't Bobby that got her one drugs. But the two of them together only made things worse.

PatrickS77 said:

debbiedean2 said:

Wow, for years everyone blamed Bobby for getting Whitney hooked on drugs and her big brother just admitted to introducing her to cocaine!

I've BEEN said her brothers got her hooked. Gary admitting to such just confirms it.

I don't have any more to say.

It's sad that Cissy says that it would have bothered her if Whit was gay. I think that attitude alone could have caused some shit.

I wasn't expecting Michael to be the one to introduce her to drugs..

I guess the mystery is no more.

I don't blame anyone for her death, if anyone has had a close friend or family member battle drugs then you know how difficult it is. Some people just can't shake it. I have a cousin in rehab now..for the 8th or 9th time. She lost everything, her children, husband, home, job. I'll never touch that stuff. It causes too much damage.

On lighter note, it's clear where Whitney got her "snappiness" from! Mama Cissy doesn't play!

I agree. Cissy is no joke.

mjscarousal said:

TD3 said:

I feel sorry for any parent(s) who loses child. Unless you've experience the lose of child, I strongly feel others should respect or at least have a shred of empathy and/or sympathy for those who have. Mother Houston lost her baby to drug addiction; a lot of people have lost their kids to drugs, some will lose their child today. I hope Mother Houston can find a place where she can find some peace and have the pain subside, I feel very sorry for her.

Some people don't like Ms. Winfrey, I get that. Seriously, its an interview that's all that it is; some of the comments here border on the irrational.

How is calling out Oprah and Cissy insisting that people are being inesnsitive?

Cissy has been making tv appearances, tell all books exploiting her daughter. I have every bit of sympathy for her and anybody who loses a child.

HOWEVER, her actions displays that she has a different motive with these interviews and its sickening and very disturbing because it seems she is just exploiting Whitney for money and publicity.

Oprah is going to be the fake and phooney person she is but it baffles me that these people keep running to her when she could care less about them.

We ALL know Whitney had a drug problem but damn why not trying to remember your daughter in a positive light instead of exploiting the negative things. She has ALREADY talked about Whitneys drug issues, its sickening and I dont take back anything I said. I stand by that they are just exploiting Whitney for money and I dont think saying that is being irrational or insensitive, it is what it is.

People remember others in death as they did in life, you can't really edit out the parts you don't want to remember

People aren't going to Oprah because they think she cares, most people know that is Interview central, so Cissy and everyone else will and have interviewed with eyes wide open

vainandy said:

banks said:

Cissy Houston on Whitney: 'She was raised well, she knew better' than to use drugs

Cissy said she did what she could to try and pull her daughter back from the brink, but suggested that the confusing world of the music business, being called "Whitey" early on and then the marriage match to Brown led to her daughter seeking self-medication.

"She was giving, loving. She -- just didn't like confusion; turned away from that as much as she could," Cissy told Roker, adding that "I really do" believe that's what led to her drug use.

It's sad to say but Nippy was not truly embraced by the black community until she married Bobby Brown and started making a public spectacle of herself. Prior to that, a lot of people in the black community felt her music was too Pop and wasn't being geared towards them. I thought her being booed at the Soul Train Awards in the 80's was one of the most tasteless, mean-spirited things I had ever witnessed. I know that alone stayed with her for a long time.

scriptgirl said:

What's Robin Crawford doing these days? My older cousin Reena says that tongues were wagging from jump about Robin and White.

Ms Trina, did Whitney seriously never give Cissy a dime?

No, that isn't what I said. I said most kids when they make big money will hook-up their moms.... even if they don't give others a dime.

No, mother Houston is no joke, just straight up with no chaser. Good interview.

=====================================================

[Edited 1/29/13 11:13am]

Oh, thanks for clarifying Ms Trina!