Feb. 11, 2024, will mark 11 years since the tragic passing of Whitney Houston — and fans are still mourning the loss of the iconic singer.
On Jan. 25, netizens shared their thoughts about the sudden death of the six-time Grammy Award-winner after the @bobbyxwhitney Instagram page shared a clip of Boosie Badazz’s Vlad TV interview from April 2023, in which he slammed Clive Davis — Houston’s mentor and manager — for carrying on with his annual pre-Grammy gala party on the night of the singer’s passing. Boosie said Davis should have stopped the gala out of respect for Houston’s life and legacy, but he argued that her battle with drug addiction made fans and her peers “lose respect” for her career.
“Drugs just f–k everything up. I hate what it did to Whitney Houston. I hate it. That woman was everything to me,” Boosie told Vlad TV. “Her drugs made this whole f–king world lose respect for that woman.”
To prove his point, Boosie, 41, noted how the NFL swiftly stopped the January Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals game after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin collapsed following a tough hit to the head and chest while making a tackle.
“Damar Hamlin almost died, and we stopped the game for him, but we got Whitney Houston to lose her mother f–king life, and you still have that mother f–king Clive Davis party? The disrespect for that f–king woman. The disrespect for Whitney — it’s a f–king shame.”
What happened on the night of Whitney Houston’s death?
On Feb. 11, 2012, Houston was found unresponsive in a bathtub at the Beverly Hills hotel in Los Angeles, just a few hours before Davis’ pre-Grammy gala was scheduled to begin at the hotel’s ballroom space, according to The Hollywood Reporter. To make matters even worse, Houston’s remains had not been taken away from the hotel floors directly above the ongoing party when the event started, E! News noted. A coroner’s report later determined that Houston died as a result of accidental drowning, heart disease and cocaine use, authorities said. She was 48.
Social media users reacted to Boosie Badazz’s comments on Vlad TV.
Social media users had much to say about Boosie’s thoughts, and many agreed that Davis’ decision to continue with the Grammy gala was disrespectful. Some users noted that given how close Davis was with the star, he should have made the executive decision to stop and pay tribute to the singer.
“Out of all people, Clive kept the party going. That right there tells you how much he respected her,” one user penned in the comments section. “I’m glad Boosie had the balls to call him out.”
Another user penned, “I was so upset when they went on with the party. She was his biggest artist, and her personal struggles should have mattered. We’re talking about WHITNEY HOUSTON!! She deserved much more than that night.”
Instagram users noted that they still loved Houston despite her turbulent battle with drug abuse.
One user penned, “I ain’t never lost any respect or love for Whitney… in my head, Whitney was and will forever be my aunt! But he ain’t tell not ONE lie!!!! The disrespect was ASTOUNDING after all she did for him. He should be ashamed of himself still to this day.”
Another fan wrote, “She is still my all-time favorite! I have loved Whitney all my life. It makes me sick to think that her legacy was tainted by some bad choices stemming from a flawed industry! May she rest in eternal peace.”
A third user added, “Boosie ain’t told not one lie. The choice Clive made to continue the party that night told me all I needed to know. The industry is a wicked place. I’ll forever and always love me some Whitney. She’s forever the GREATEST.”
Why did Clive Davis have his pre-Grammy gala on the night of Houston’s death?
Davis held a moment of silence for Houston during his pre-Grammy gala event in 2012. Before the tribute, the former Columbia Records A&R told the audience that Whitney’s family requested him to continue with the event and that Houston would have “wanted the music go on.”
He doubled down on that sentiment during an interview with Larry King in 2013.
“The Grammys were the next night. You don’t cancel. You turn an evening into a tribute,” the music veteran said. “The family did not want me to give a thought to canceling.”
Boosie has made some questionable comments, but he was spot-on with this take. What are your thoughts on Davis’ decision to throw the gala? Was it wrong?
RELATED CONTENT: Whitney Houston Flaunts Her 17-Year-Old Vocal Skills In New Gospel Single’ ‘Testimony”
