Oprah Winfrey shares rare behind-the-scenes story of covering up Whitney Houston's onstage fall

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Oprah Winfrey has opened up about a frightening moment involving the late Whitney Houston that occurred years ago on her self-titled talk show.

Houston died in February 2012 from accidental drowning at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. She was 48. Before her death, the music icon appeared on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' in 2009, where she reportedly fell off the stage after allegedly relapsing on illegal substances.

Oprah recalls Whitney Houston's onstage fall

During a Cannes Lions presentation on Tuesday, June 23, the TV producer recalled, “This was an amazing thing that happened. I had such trust from the Oprah Show audience that Whitney did, I think, what was her last show with us.”

“The first interview I did with her, when we'd gone behind stage and I asked about her intentions, she was clean. But the day she came to my show to perform in front of the audience, she was not, and she fell off of the stage,” she stated.

Winfrey said she acted immediately because she knew “if that story got out that she'd fallen off the stage, that she would be completely destroyed by that.”

“Even though the audience was there and the audience had cameras, I begged them not to put those pictures up because it would ruin her life, and they did not,” the 72-year-old added. 

Oprah Winfrey urges creators to prioritize humanity

Winfrey, however, also asserted that “that would not happen today, I can tell you that.” She reportedly cited the incident while urging creators to use their platforms responsibly.

"You have a bigger calling in life … Your bigger job here on the planet is to be the best human being you can be, not the best creator, not the best talk show host, not the best podcaster, but how are you evolving into what creation intended for you to be?" Winfrey told the audience.

Whitney Houston estate disputes Oprah Winfrey's claims

Meanwhile, Houston’s estate has pushed back against Winfrey’s account.

The estate, run by Pat Houston, told TMZ, “Whitney absolutely fell off the stage, but it was during a sound check, and it was due to the darkness of the area and her unfamiliarity with the stage. She was absolutely not high.”

“Like many people, she faced personal battles, but it is inaccurate and unfair to attach that struggle to every performance or every chapter of her life. What the studio audience witnessed on stage was the result of discipline, talent, and commitment, not the assumptions others project,” she explained.

Pat, who is married to Whitney Houston's brother, further added, “Whitney’s humanity included triumphs and struggles, but on that day, she showed up as the professional and gifted artist she always worked to be. We owe her the dignity of telling the truth, not repeating myths.”