Whitney Houston’s close friend and confidante, Robyn Crawford, is breaking her silence for the first time on television, revealing in a special edition of "Dateline" her romantic relationship with the Grammy-award winning singer.
“Our friendship was a deep friendship. In the early part of that friendship, it was physical," Crawford can be seen telling TODAY's Craig Melvin in a preview of an episode of "Dateline" titled “A Song for Whitney” that airs on Saturday, Nov. 9.
In the special, Crawford explains: “It was during that first summer that we met, was the first time our lips touched. And it wasn't anything planned, it just happened. And it felt wonderful. And then, not long after that, we spent the night together. And that evening was the night that we touched. And that just brought us closer.”
Crawford is opening up about her relationship with the music superstar in a new memoir, "A Song For You: My Life with Whitney Houston," that comes out next week. She writes that she finally decided to share her story because she "felt the need to stand up for our friendship."
"I felt an urgency to stand up and share the woman behind the incredible talent," she writes in her book. “I wanted to lift her legacy, give her respect and share the story of who she was before the fame, and in that, to embrace our friendship.”
During the tell-all "Dateline" special, Crawford shares — for the first time on camera — personal stories from Houston’s three-decade career, as well as a behind-the-scenes account of Houston’s triumphs and tragedies, including her battle with drug addiction and her tumultuous marriage to rapper Bobby Brown.
Houston died from drowning and the combined effects of heart disease with cocaine use in February of 2012. She was 48.
“A Song for Whitney” airs Saturday, Nov. 9 at 9:00 pm ET. Crawford will also join TODAY for her first live interview on Monday, Nov. 11.