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Robyn Crawford | |
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Born | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. | December 17, 1960
Spouse | Lisa Hintelmann (m. 2000) |
Children | 2 |
Robyn Crawford (born December 17, 1960) is an American author, producer, and former assistant to and creative director for Whitney Houston. [1] [2] Her credits include The Bodyguard (1992), Waiting to Exhale (1995), The Preacher's Wife (1996), and Cinderella (1997). [3]
Crawford was born in Newark, New Jersey, but grew up as one of three siblings in East Orange, New Jersey. Crawford's mother left her father due to his abuse. [4] Both her mother, Janet Crawford, and her brother, Marty, were diagnosed with HIV, and both died of AIDS related illness in the ’90s. [5]
Crawford met Whitney Houston in 1980, when Crawford was 19 and Houston was 16. She and Houston met when they were counselors at an East Orange summer camp. [6] [7]
Crawford claims in her 2019 book A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston that she had a same-sex relationship with Houston that faded as they prioritized Houston's career. Crawford left school to aid Houston's career. [4] They lived together. [2] [8] Crawford says that she was ostracised and sidelined by Houston's family and management as Houston's fame grew and her career progressed, and when Houston married Bobby Brown. [8] [9]
A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston became a New York Times Best Seller. [10]
Crawford lives in New Jersey with her wife Lisa Hintelmann, with whom she adopted twins. Lena Waithe has cited Crawford as an early inspiration. [4]
Year | Title | Role |
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1987 | In Between [3] | Script supervisor |
1992 | The Bodyguard [3] | Executive assistant to Whitney Houston |
1995 | Waiting to Exhale [3] | Executive assistant to Whitney Houston |
1997 | Cinderella [3] | Associate producer |
2017 | Kevyn Aucoin: Beauty & the Beast in Me [3] | Herself |
2017 | Whitney: Can I Be Me [3] | Herself (archival footage) |
2018 | Whitney [3] | Herself (archival footage) |
Date | Show | Episode | Role |
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Dec. 26, 2019 | NPR's 1A | "'She Had Me, I Had Her:' Robyn Crawford Opens Up" [12] | Guest |
Nov. 20, 2019 | LGBTQ&A [13] | "Robyn Crawford: My Life With Whitney Houston" | Guest |
Nov. 12, 2019 | Yes, Girl!, an Essence podcast | "Nobody Loved Whitney Like Robyn Crawford - The Interview You've Been Waiting For" | Guest |