{"id":258416,"date":"2025-11-02T22:09:14","date_gmt":"2025-11-02T22:09:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/258416\/"},"modified":"2025-11-02T22:09:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-02T22:09:14","slug":"winnie-harlow-addressed-criticism-of-her-disrespectful-whitney-houston-costume","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/258416\/","title":{"rendered":"Winnie Harlow Addressed Criticism Of Her “Disrespectful” Whitney Houston Costume"},"content":{"rendered":"

Winnie Harlow<\/a> responded to backlash for dressing up as Whitney Houston<\/a> for Halloween.\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Mike Coppola \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

The model addressed the criticism on Sunday, three days after revealing the look<\/a> to her followers.\"Winnie<\/p>\n

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She first paid homage to Whitney by dressing up as her in the “I Wanna Dance With Somebody<\/a>” music video<\/a> before later recreating Whitney’s appearance at the 2001 BET Awards, when Whitney took the stage to accept the Lifetime Achievement Award. At the time, Whitney was facing intense scrutiny and speculation about her drug use, which was amplified by her visibly thin appearance and energetic behavior during the show.Whitney never publicly addressed the reaction to her appearance \u2014 though she later admitted to previously using drugs in a 2002 interview<\/a> with Diane Sawyer<\/a>, including marijuana and cocaine. She died<\/a> in 2012 from an accidental drowning, with heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors.\"Whitney<\/p>\n

Michael Caulfield Archive \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Given that history, fans weren’t thrilled about Winnie’s decision to recreate that particular look.\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Daniele Venturelli \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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One commenter wrote, “If this was a reenactment of a more positive part of Whitney’s career and impact on the earth I would be ok with you pretending to be her every now and then because you did such a good job. I think you should do a positive one.”\"Person<\/p>\n

Mike Coppola \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Another person wrote<\/a> on X, “um. i think she’s an asshole for this. she made a ‘costume’ & is reenacting a time when Whitney was in the throws of addiction.”\"Whitney<\/p>\n

Frank Micelotta \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

“She picked the most distasteful moment to ‘honor’ her,” someone said<\/a>, as another person called<\/a> the costume “not cute” nor “fun,” “especially knowing what we know now.”\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Daniele Venturelli \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Others agreed<\/a> that the costume missed the mark: “Something about this feels disrespectful. Idk. Maybe I\u2019m too woke.”\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Loic Venance \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

“seems like she’s mocking her,” another X user said<\/a>, while one more added<\/a>, “She owes everyone an apology for this nonsense.”\"Whitney<\/p>\n

Larry Busacca \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

Winnie addressed the backlash on her Instagram story, saying that she meant to celebrate Whitney, not mock her. “That clip has always been one of my favorites,” she said. “She was radiant, funny, confident, and captivating. She was being awarded. The way she moved across that stage with flair and swag? Iconic.”\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Axelle \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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Winnie also shared a personal connection to Whitney. “My mother is one of her biggest fans and named me Whitney after her,” she shared. “That’s my real legal name. She’s always been a queen in my house.”\"Winnie<\/p>\n

Samir Hussein \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n

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She then concluded the post by saying, “People are more than headlines. A woman who could command a room, make you laugh & carry herself like royalty. If all you see when you see Whitney are her struggles, you’re missing her charisma, humor, talent, personality, & wit. She was hilarious & magnetic. THAT is and what should always be highlighted. The light that made us all love her attention to positivity.”You can see the full post here \u2014 then let me know your thoughts in the comments.\"Instagram<\/p>\n

@winnieharlow<\/p>\n

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, you can call SAMHSA\u2019s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) and find more resources here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Read it on BuzzFeed.com<\/a><\/p>\n