In new memoir, Whitney Houston bestie Robyn Crawford addresses what their relationship really was

Whitney Houston's yearslong friendship with Robyn Crawford had once been a brief romance, she says in a new memoir. But it ended once her career took off

Blue Telusma

Nov 6, 2019

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Earlier this year it was revealed that Robyn Crawford, best known as Whitney Houston’s bestie, was writing a tell-all book to give us an intimate look into the life of the iconic singer. Now that memoir is finally available for pre-order.

Crawford has been incredibly private about her relationship with the singer in the past, but A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston is reportedly her opportunity to finally shed light not only on their friendship but also clarify details of their rumored romantic relationship.

In an excerpt from the book given to PEOPLE, Crawford, recalls her 19-year-old self meeting then-17-year-old Houston while they were both counselors at a New Jersey summer camp in 1980. Very quickly after striking up a friendship, Crawford says they became romantically involved.

“We wanted to be together,” she shares simply, before explaining how Houston ultimately chose stardom over a romantic relationship between them. In fact, as soon as Houston signed a deal with Clive Davis and Arista Records, the couple ended their affair to preserve her image.

“She said we shouldn’t be physical anymore because it would make our journey even more difficult,” Crawford wrote. “She said if people find out about us, they would use this against us and back in the ’80s that’s how it felt.”

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The young singer was also receiving a lot of pressure from her mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, who repeatedly warned her that it wasn’t “natural for two women to be that close.”

Despite the end of their romantic relationship, Crawford remained loyal and protective of Houston, and they were close friends up until the singer’s tragic death in 2012.

Although they “never talked about labels, like lesbian or gay,” their bond and clear chemistry eventually sparked rumors regarding Houston’s sexuality. But Crawford says it was her deep friendship with Houston, and not their romance, that prompted her to finally share this part of her story.

“I wanted to lift her legacy, give her respect and share the story of who she was before the fame, and in that, to embrace our friendship,” she explained. “I’d come to the point where I felt the need to stand up for our friendship. And I felt an urgency to stand up and share the woman behind the incredible talent.”

A Song for You: My Life with Whitney Houston will be released on Nov. 12 and is available now for pre-order on Amazon.