Let me tell you a story about a former Scotland Yard officer named David Roberts. This guy wasn’t just any guard—he became the real-life inspiration behind Kevin Costner’s iconic role in The Bodyguard. But here’s the kicker: David wasn’t exactly thrilled when he was first asked to provide security for the legendary Whitney Houston. You see, David had spent most of his career protecting high-profile figures like CEOs and diplomats, not pop stars. So when the offer came, he was hesitant. “When you start thinking about working with a pop star, there are so many unknowns,” David exclusively confides to Closer.
A Meeting That Changed Everything
Despite his reservations, David found himself waiting at London’s Heathrow Airport in April 1988, ready to meet Whitney and her entourage. And let me tell you, the moment he laid eyes on her, everything changed. “I was so impressed,” David recalls. “I was not expecting a shy, articulate, highly intelligent young woman with the voice of an angel.” That initial meeting set the stage for a deep and lasting friendship that would span years and continents.
Protecting Whitney: The Memoir
David shares the incredible journey of their bond in his memoir, Protecting Whitney: The Memoir of Her Bodyguard, which hit shelves on January 28. Working alongside Whitney during the height of her career, David had his hands full. He wasn’t just protecting her from delusional fans and stalkers; he was also shielding her from those who sought to exploit her generous nature. “My role was to help avoid people taking advantage of her generosity,” David explains. “She was too generous. People waited until we were on tour to get married because Whitney would pay for everything. Her heart, her money, and her love for everyone were boundless—but it didn’t always serve her well.”
Read also:Hoda Kotbs New Chapter Exploring Wellness And Staying Connected To Lsquotodayrsquo
Whitney's Wedding and the Tension With Bobby Brown
Things got even more complicated when Whitney tied the knot with R&B sensation Bobby Brown in 1992. David recalls that the wedding was a scene of chaos, with no fewer than 24 trespassers attempting to scale the fence surrounding Whitney’s estate in New Jersey. And if that wasn’t enough, his relationship with Bobby was always strained. “Mr. Brown sort of tolerated me because Whitney wanted him to,” David says. “She liked the way I looked after her and he loved her. But we were very different people.”
Throughout their time together, David never once witnessed Whitney using drugs or drinking excessively. “In my presence, I never saw her take or imbibe any drug beyond a cigarette or a bottle of Heineken. That was her drug,” he says. However, as time went on, whispers of darker truths began to reach his ears.
A Letter That Changed Everything
David’s memoir delves into a pivotal moment in 1995 when Whitney overdosed on the set of Waiting to Exhale. Her doctor warned her that continuing down this path could cost her the one thing she cherished most: her singing voice. Determined to help, David penned a letter to Whitney’s lawyers, revealing that members of her entourage were supplying her with drugs. A week later, he was let go. “I think our last conversation was in Singapore,” David reflects. “We were on our way back to the United States, and it was a normal conversation.”
David never got the chance to say goodbye. “Metaphorically speaking, I took that bullet. I put my association on the line and I lost. For that failure, I will always feel I let her down,” he says with heartfelt emotion.
Remembering Whitney
David was at his desk in 2012 when he heard the devastating news of Whitney’s accidental drowning at the age of 48. “I had been angry since 1995,” he admits, but writing his memoir allowed him to find peace. “She should still be here. We should be sitting here listening to her music today.”
David prefers to focus on the joyous moments they shared. “Whitney was happiest when she was having fun with her family,” he says. “Out of the public eye, when we were sitting together in a corridor in a hotel anywhere in the world, that’s when we had fun.”
Read also:When Savannah Guthrie Asked Tom Hanks To Coanchor On Today
One of the few keepsakes David cherishes is an autographed invitation Whitney sent him to her birthday party in 1989. “It says, ‘David, I will always love you,’” he shares. “Wasn’t that poetic? That’s all I ever needed.”
