Hey shippers,
So i ran a teensy bit long on the convo for Oprah's interview with Kevney. I hope you don't mind me having to wrap this up tomorrow. I can barely keep my eyes open at this point! Enjoy. Oh, and keep an eye out for two special cameo appearances. LOL.
November 2002
CHICAGO – Inside Harpo Studios, and audience claps as film clips of Whitney Houston roll on a screen behind the couch setup. Then it cheers wildly as Oprah takes the stage and sits in her chair.
Oprah: YES! You’ve guessed it. My guest for today, it’s going to be all about her. You’re in for a treat. She is America’s Princess … (the audience goes nuts) Cissy’s baby girl … (they cheer even louder) and, as I like to call her, THE VOICE!
(Whitney’s cover of “I’m Every Woman” blares as she emerges from backstage. The audience is in full frenzy mode, though contained in their rows of seats. They begin clapping to the beat of IEW, and Whitney playfully dances along as she crosses the stage blowing kisses. She crosses her hands over her heart as she gives a low full-court curtsy.)
She sits in Oprah’s couch as the audience takes a while to quiet down.
Oprah: Well, wait a minute y’all. If you keep hootin’ and hollerin’, we won’t get to the questions. And I know you want to hear my questions!
Whitney: You’ve got them all excited, girl! Whitney touches both hands to Oprah’s arm and laughs.
Oprah: No, you’re the one! They need to rename this show The Whitney Hour! (Oprah laughs, as the last of the noisemakers gives a last whoop and quiets down.) So let’s get into our program here. We have a show to do. And I want to start with you new movie, where you have a starring role again, it’s called what?
Whitney: It’s called “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” and it’s based on a book that I’ve loved ever since I read it. You know? It’s a story about a woman I think we can all relate to in some way.
Oprah devotes the next 10 minutes to talking about the premise and what it was like for Whitney to return to the screen. Oprah shifts in her seat and begins asking Whitney questions about her divorce, now a year behind her. Whitney answers them, then begins to fidget with her hands a little and giggle.
Whitney: Oh Lord. I know what’s coming. Are you seeing anyone?
Giggles and cheers ripple through the audience, as Oprah starts coaxing Whitney to spill.
Oprah: And before you answer that, I want to point out that this month is the tenth anniversary of the premiere of … THE BODYGUARD! (shorts break for the audience to laugh and cheer) Yes, 10 years ago Hollywood’s leading leading man Kevin Costner lit-er-ally swept Whitney off her feet and into movie history. You still have the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time. I’m not sure if anyone will ever beat that record.
Whitney: Well, we’ll see. There is a lot of talent in the world, so you never know. You know that putting the song in was Kevin’s idea?
Oprah: Really?
Whitney: Yeah, and he … he was very firm about what he wanted. It was his idea for me to sing the first few lines acappella.
Oprah: He’s multi-talented, I see.
Whitney: Yeah, he’s … he’s really something. Very kind and supportive.
Oprah: (Turns to the audience.) Did you all notice that she says he IS very kind and supportive. And he IS something? We may have another treat for you guys. Since it’s the 10th anniversary of the film that swept is all away (the audience gets amped up again) we thought: How cool would it be to reunite the bodyguard and his superstar?! Here is he, ladies and gentlemen—Kevin Costneeeer!
The audience is on its feet again as Kevin emerges from back stage, looking handsome, slightly tanned and very dashing in black jeans, cowboy boots and a crisp white shirt. Open at the collar. They greet him with the same duration of cheers, but less intensity than what they had for Whitney. He smiles good-naturedly and sits down next to Whitney. Very closely.
Oprah: Welcome, Kevin. Listen, we need to take a small break, but when we come back, we’ll be talking to Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston.
AFTER COMMERCIAL
Oprah: OK so … you know, we’re back with Kevin and Whitney. Whitney was just filling us in on her new movie and the influence on her by her old friend, Kevin.
Oprah goes into the hallmark 10th anniversary of TBG, and asks questions that Whitney and Kevin answer easily, like a real couple.
Oprah: So did you all keep in touch after filming?
Kevin: Well, not at first, you know. Whitney kind of left my side and ran off. She got married, had a baby, a world tour, met some princes and heads of state and all. She … she had her big life up there with the moon, and I went to … I went to Waterworld. (He turns to the audience and smiles.)
Oprah smiles slightly when Kevin says “left my side and ran off.” But she calmly slides a cue card to the back of the pile in her hand and looks at the camera.
Oprah: So are you friends now? Because you seem really close, is all I’m saying.
Kevin: Yeah. Yes we are pretty close now. We talk all the time.
Oprah: Well, OK. Now we’re getting to it. Did you know about her divorce before it happened? We all knew about it when the official separation papers were filed, but when did you find out?
Kevin: Yeah, we had talked about it before … see Oprah, sometimes people have a hard time in life, and Whitney had hers. Someone that loves Whitney asked me to try to step in and write her a couple of letters, which I did.
Oprah: And did you read them, Whitney?
Whitney: Well (laughs) the funny thing is, they never got to me. It’s a weird story, but I realized that something that was meant for me, for my own good by people who cared never reached me. And when I realized that happened I knew I had to go.
Oprah: So Kevin you knew about her divorce before it was going public, and you’re close friends now.
Whitney: Oh God. (covers her face) Yeah, we are pretty … we see each other almost all the time now.
Oprah: Let me show everybody what I’m getting at. Our cameras were rolling during the break and caught this …
Footage appears of Whitney shifting in her seat. Kevin sees that the loops of her right earring, the side of her body closest to him are tangled, so he reaches over and straightens them. Then he runs a finger inside her collar and she bends toward slim slightly, touching his leg.
The audience is still tittering and ooohing about it.
Oprah: So wait a minute, y’all. How close is close?
Kevin: Well, you know. I mean Oprah, this is the sort of thing that we don’t always like to talk about publicly.
Oprah: ‘We’ as in ‘we’ make decisions as a couple? As in where to live? Where the kids go to school? That sort of thing?
Whitney’s face goes behind her hand in an instant, and she starts to laugh.
Whitney: A little bit, yeah.
Oprah: When did this all start?
Kevin: Well, you know we got back in touch after things started to get patchy for Whitney and I actually saw her at Cipriani in New York a few years ago. Then at the Oscars, she was in town and we kind of … I mean, I could see that she was becoming unhappy, but I let her talk. Let her come out of her shell. And it was hard for her, but yeah, maybe a year ago we really got off the ground.
(The audience goes nuts. Cheering loudly again and a few get on their feet. Some women are crying. Others are nodding enthusiastically and saying: ‘I knew it! I knew it!’ One of them waves the mike over.)
Oprah points and the assistant hands the woman the mike.
Oprah: What’s your name, Miss?
Shiroja: My name is Shiroja.
I build Web sites, and …
Oprah: (Looks at the camera and grins.) And she’s taking clients, America. Her number is 888-. Go ahead with your question, Miss!
Shiroja: Well, I just want to say how happy we all are. My friends are in this row and we’re like ‘Why shouldn’t Whitney have a nice guy? She’s so wonderful, and we’re thrilled that she said yes to Kevin!’
Whitney: (Blows kisses) Thank you, baby!
Oprah: Well, Shiroja I’m glad you said that because one of our interns, a really smart girl named Erica, has been after me since she found out I booked Whitney. She’s been saying: “They’ve been in love for 10 years, Oprah! I know it!”
Kevin: Really?! That's interesting.
Oprah: Well, I’m going to show you. It’s incredible; she has this whole database going back. Interviews, videos. And she even filed it all under the name Kevney. Did you all know that people call you Kevney?
Kevin: That’s really sweet.
Oprah: So here is a picture that Erica found. (It’s of Whitney and Kevin on the tarmac embracing.)
Whitney: Oh, that’s a nice one. I remember that photo shoot. We were on location and decided to get a few publicity shots for the movie.
Oprah: Yes it is a nice photo! And let’s zoom in a bit on Kevin. Right behind his left ear. (So the AV department zooms in, as Oprah asks, and Whitney and the audience gasp at what appears to be a huge hickey behind Kevin’s ear.)
Oprah: So what is that there?
Whitney has been laughing so hard that she falls into Kevin’s arms. Then she looks back at the screen, holding her forehead in disbelief.
Kevin: Well … you know … I just don’t … that’s not, that’s not really anything. I think that must have been an ink stain, you know? Like on the lens of the camera or something.
Oprah: Uh-huh. We have to take another commercial break, but when we return, we’ll discuss the curious case of the weird ink stain. We’ll be back.