Robyn Crawford | |
Birth Date: | 17 December 1960 |
Birth Place: | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
Spouse: | Lisa Hintelmann |
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), In Between (1987), 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, the pair having both been counselors at an East Orange summer camp.[6] [7]
Crawford claims in her book A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston, published in 2019, 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 as a couple.[2] [8] Crawford was ostracised and sidelined by Houston's family and management as Houston's fame grew and her career progressed, and she married Bobby Brown.[9]
Her book 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 |
---|---|---|
1987 | In Between | Script supervisor |
1992 | The Bodyguard | Executive assistant to Whitney Houston |
1995 | Waiting to Exhale | Executive assistant to Whitney Houston |
1997 | Cinderella | Associate producer |
2017 | Kevyn Aucoin Beauty & the Beast in Me | Herself |
2017 | Herself(archival footage) | |
2018 | Whitney | Herself(archival footage) |
Date | Show | Episode | Role |
---|---|---|---|
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 |