Whitney Houston’s Former Bodyguard Says He Was Once Tempted to 'Give Up Everything’ for the Singer

Whitney Houston’s former bodyguard has revealed that there was a time when his feelings for the singer weren’t strictly professional.

In an interview for Daily Mail published on Friday, December 27, former police officer David Roberts – who was portrayed in the 1992 film Bodyguard was loosely based on – he opened up about his time protecting the iconic singer, who died of a drug overdose in 2012 aged 48.

Welsh-born Roberts, who served as Houston’s bodyguard from 1988 to 1995, spoke to the newspaper ahead of the publication of his memoir Protecting Whitneywhich should be published in January 2025.

While Roberts, 73, insisted Houston’s safety was always his top priority, he said one night the star rested her head on his shoulder and he was tempted to “drop everything” to change the nature of their relationship.

Whitney Houston 1985

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“If you cross that line, you lose your objectivity, and that makes him dangerous to the person you’re protecting,” he told the newspaper, adding, “That’s why Frank Farmer [Kevin Costner’s character in The Bodyguard] and Rachel Marron [Houston’s character] they couldn’t be together—he crossed the line and that was the end of him in the capacity of what he was employed to do.”

“Much of what’s in the movie, she and I actually lived through it,” Roberts continued. “Little details like Rachel holding on to the back of his shirt to get away from a crowd of fans. That’s how we did it.”

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Roberts, who now lives in Florida, also revealed he still has a note Houston wrote him more than 35 years ago.

“It was [on] sticky note and slipped it under the door of my room at the Regency Hotel in Hong Kong in 1988. I still have it — it’s faded quite a bit over time, but it’s still precious to me,” he said.

Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in the movie ‘The Bodyguard’.

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The former police officer said Daily Mail that the six-time Grammy winner, who was just 23 when they met, experienced a series of serious security threats during his time with her.

“Mostly they were [threats from] people who felt betrayed, bitter and cheated,” he recalled. “It was a constant program of constantly checking where these delusional, poisoned-minded lunatics might be. I had to get it right 100 percent of the time – some idiot determined to get it only has to get it once.”

“I put myself between her and those threats. Do you want to reach Whitney? Go ahead and try, see what happens,’ he continued.

Roberts also noted that there is a “fine line” between a seemingly harmless fan and a dangerous person with a “crazy” obsession. “If you let any fan, no matter how seemingly innocent, slip through your guard, he could turn out to be a killer. The golden rule is to never lose sight of your host and never let anyone get close to her,” he told the news outlet. .

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Whitney Houston 1991

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In the 2017 interview The GuardianRoberts said he initially didn’t want to take on the job of protecting Houston because he assumed she would be someone in a high-maintenance industry. However, his preconceptions about the star were dispelled when he met her face to face.

“She particularly impressed me. The stereotypes I had about the industry were completely dispelled by this sophisticated young lady,” he told the paper, recalling that Houston was also witty and warm.

Roberts also said The Guardian at a time when Houston’s death in 2012 still angered him. “So many people could have done so much to avoid it. They didn’t. They rejected responsibility in favor of greed,” he said.

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Houston struggled with drugs for most of her adult life and went to rehab several times.

In 2016, a close family friend told PEOPLE that the singer — often called “The Voice” for her immense talent — initially turned to drugs to cope with the pressures of fame.

“I think not being able to be 100 percent was a hell of a burden on her. Someone can look good on the outside, tough and strong… [but] on the inside, you have someone who had insecurities and family issues and emotional personal issues and struggles,” said a family friend.

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