A documentary on the life of Whitney Houston claims that the late American singer was sexually molested by her cousin during her childhood.
The film, titled "Whitney", is directed by the Scottish film-maker Kevin Macdonald and was screened at the Cannes film festival recently.
The film features interviews with many of Houston's family members and friends. Two of her close relatives revealed that her abuser was musician Dee Dee Warwick, who died in 2008.
Mary Jones, Houston's aunt, told Macdonald that the superstar confided in her that she had been sexually abused by Warwick, the sister of soul singer Dionne and niece of Houston's mother Cissy Houston.
"It made her question her sexual preference," Jones said in the documentary, according to Entertainment Weekly.
"I think she was ashamed... If Cissy had known, she would have done something about it, because Cissy loves her children," she added.
Houston's half-brother, Gary Garland-Houston, a former NBA basketball player, alleged that he and Houston were both sexually abused by Warwick and said the incidents happened between the ages of seven and nine.
The film also touches on Houston's sexuality, including her alleged affair with longtime companion Robyn Crawford, as well as her struggles to remain in the public eye while fighting off a debilitating drug addiction.
Houston won 22 AMAs in her legendary music career spanning nearly three decades. She passed away at the age of 48 in February 2012.
Houston struggled with drug and alcohol addiction throughout her life. She had a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown.
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