1 of 1
In a statement to People magazine,Cissy and her cousin Dionne Warwick say they were not aware of Whitney documentary director Kevin Macdonald's claim that the singer was molested by Warwick's older sister Dee Dee until two days before the film was screened at Cannes.
They make it clear that the "sexual abuse experience is unimaginable. We make no attempt to minimize the pain, the trauma and perhaps lifelong damage to the psyche of abuse victims... By this statement we do not intend to defend, condone or excuse the crime of molestation."
Still, Warwick and Houston take issue with the film, which they call "invasive." Acknowledging that Whitney was "a public person," they deny that the "public has a right to know any and everything about her: She wasn’t running for office, asking for money or trying to win the right to run anyone’s life." They are disturbed by disclosures that her father stole money from her and by the molestation allegations. They add that "close confidante" Robyn Crawford betrayed Whitney "by publicizing rumors and hearsay." And Cissy denies that Dee Dee ever babysat for Whitney.