The upcoming Lifetime film ‘Whitney’ will star Yaya DaCosta as Houston and Yolanda Ross as Robyn Crawford, Houston’s longtime friend, personal assistant and alleged lesbian lover.
According to TheWrap, the movie, directed by celebrated actress Angela Bassett, portrays Houston as a woman who was naïve about romantic love and who was perhaps never able to properly express herself due to her strict upbringing. Although the film does not go so far as to imply that there was ever a romantic lesbian relationship between Houston and Crawford, it implies that Crawford did battle with Houston’s husband, Bobby Brown, for the singer’s affection.
“There were maybe three or four pictures of Robyn that I could find,” Ross told TheWrap about the lack of background information for Crawford. “And production couldn’t do much better – they found one tiny clip of her talking, just so I could get an idea.”
“So, it was taking what I could find out about their friendship and how long they knew each other, and that was it. So, I was just acting off emotions – what’s on the page and what these two people in this particular situation, how they would be acting and reacting to each other.”
Ross explains that although very little was known about her character’s relationship with Whitney, she drew from the emotions of being in love with someone who is in love with someone else.
“It’s someone who you’ve grown up with since the age of 16 – that you’re now their personal assistant – so you’re the person that was with them before they became famous,” Ross said. “So, they’re counting on you a lot. So for Whitney to be at the level that she was during the time of this movie – and just where she was in life period, as Whitney Houston — to have that confidant or that person who you know is going to take care of you no matter what … that’s a really close relationship, you know? It’s a trusting one, it’s a loving one — it’s not just a business relationship.”
As for whether she believes that Whitney and Robyn ever were romantically involved, Ross prefers not to speculate.
Whitney premieres Jan. 17, 2015 on Lifetime
Every one thinks Houston and Crawford where together she was with me and Kevin Costner Plays me in the movie The Bodyguard. I was hiding for a very long time I worked for th fed gov I can prove every thing, James William Chamuras. I was not going to come out of hiding but Cissy Huston wants me to tell the truth I am her real lover .