It has been 10 years since the world lost the incredible talent that was Whitney Houston, but her contributions to the entertainment industry have helped her legacy continue. The singer spent decades in the industry penning and singing hits that took over charts all around the world, but addiction issues would cause her to become a public spectacle. Still, Houston persevered and remained an idol to her fans and peers, but sadly, she would pass away from circumstances related to an accidental overdose.
Tyler Perry recently caught up with Kevin Hart on Hart to Heart, and during the discussion, they spoke about Black representation in the industry. Perry brought up Houston, suggesting that her downfall came from the pressures she felt or experienced from the Black community.
"When I think about somebody who I love dearly is Whitney, I did all I could to try and help her, man. Whitney Houston. She—I believe she still would have been alive today had we not tried to make her into something she wasn't," said Perry. "Her being booed at the Soul Train Awards was one of the worst things that could have happened to her in her life. People saying she's 'white' or she's this or she's that, made her want to show...she came to this industry very young, but it made her want to show that she was something different."
"Instead of just realizing, let me keep my eye on this—she's got the best voice in the world—if she had kept her eye on that, none of this other stuff would have mattered," he continued. Hart added that it was "the curse of trying to prove" one's self to the world. Perry agreed before Hart admitted that he has fallen into that "curse" instead of looking toward his goals, perfecting his talents, and staying the course.
Perry's comments caused a bit of a debate online as one side agreed with his statements as another condemned him for seemingly blaming the Black community for Houston's struggles.
Check it out below.
