Whitney Houston Bodyguard Disputes Oprah

His central point was straightforward: he was there, he saw it, and he does not believe intoxication caused the fall.

Oprah Winfrey gave a different account

Winfrey recently recalled the taping and said Houston fell while performing on her show. She also said she asked the audience not to share images of the fall with the media.

“I begged them not to put those pictures out, because it would ruin her life. And they did not,” Winfrey said.

The more disputed part is Winfrey’s claim that Houston was “high as a kite” at the time. Watson rejects that version. He said Houston stepped in the wrong place because of the poorly lit stage, adding that he believes he could have made the same mistake under those conditions.

That is not a small difference in framing. One account makes the fall part of Houston’s public struggles. The other makes it a production issue, which is less dramatic but often how mishaps actually happen.

Houston’s estate has also pushed back

Houston’s estate has reportedly been angry about Winfrey’s characterization of the incident. The estate has placed the blame on the stage setup, specifically the lighting around the edge where Houston fell.

Watson’s account supports that view, though he stopped short of calling for a public apology from Winfrey. He said he does not think Winfrey owes Houston’s family or fans an apology unless she genuinely means it.

Watson’s connection to Houston extends well beyond that 2009 appearance. He was her bodyguard for more than a decade and was the first person to discover her body when she died in 2012.

In the full interview, Watson also discussed working with Houston, coping with her death, and what he believes people should remember about her. His message on the Oprah incident, though, was clear enough: in his view, the fall was not proof of anything more than a badly visible stage edge.