In a candid new interview, Whitney Houston’s former bodyguard, David Roberts, opens up about a pivotal moment during his time protecting the iconic singer when he nearly crossed a line that would have changed the nature of their relationship forever. Known for his role in keeping the late pop superstar safe, Roberts—whose life as a bodyguard inspired the 1992 film The Bodyguard—recounts a time when his feelings for Houston blurred the boundaries of professionalism.
Speaking with the Daily Mail ahead of the release of his memoir Protecting Whitney in January 2025, Roberts, 73, reflected on his career protecting Houston from 1988 to 1995. Despite the close bond he formed with the legendary singer, who tragically passed away in 2012 at the age of 48, Roberts remains adamant that his primary role was always to ensure her safety. However, he admits there was one occasion, during a moment of vulnerability, when he was tempted to give up everything for her.
“I was doing my job, keeping her safe, and then there was this one night,” Roberts recalled. “She rested her head on my shoulder, and for a split second, I was tempted to give up everything. It was a moment where I thought, ‘I could change this. I could change everything.’ But I knew, in my heart, that if I crossed that line, it would compromise her safety—and that’s what mattered most.”
Roberts draws a poignant parallel between his real-life experience and Kevin Costner’s character in The Bodyguard, Frank Farmer. “If you cross that line, you lose your objectivity, and that makes it dangerous for the person you’re protecting,” Roberts explained. “Much of what was shown in that movie, Whitney and I actually lived through. Little things like her grabbing the back of his shirt to escape fans—that was our reality.”
His deep sense of responsibility never wavered during his years as Houston’s bodyguard, but the relationship between them was far from ordinary. In his memoir, Roberts paints a picture of a woman who was not just a global superstar, but also a person with vulnerabilities and insecurities. Despite the intense scrutiny she faced, Roberts describes Houston as warm and approachable, revealing that she was much more than the media’s portrayal of her.
A key moment in their connection came in 1988, during a stay at the Regency Hotel in Hong Kong. Houston slipped a Post-it note under Roberts’ door, which he still cherishes today. “It was simple, but it was a gesture I will never forget,” he said. “It was a little note, faded with time, but still precious to me.”
Houston’s career was marked by many extraordinary achievements, but it was also marred by personal struggles, including drug addiction. Roberts recalls the constant threat of dangerous fans and stalkers, many of whom harbored delusions of being close to the star. “Some fans, they’re just fans. But there’s always a line,” he said. “If you let any fan get too close, they could turn out to be dangerous. And I had to be on guard 100 percent of the time. You couldn’t afford to make mistakes.”
The reality of protecting Houston meant facing serious threats—both physical and psychological. Roberts had to navigate a world where Whitney was constantly under threat from obsessed fans, disgruntled individuals, and potential harm from all corners. Yet through it all, he remained fiercely loyal to his role and to Houston’s safety.
Reflecting on Houston’s death in 2012, Roberts expressed a deep sense of anger and sadness. “So many people could have done so much to avoid that. They didn’t. They abdicated responsibility in favor of greed,” he said, alluding to the many people who, in his opinion, failed to intervene in Houston’s struggles with substance abuse. “She was so much more than her public persona,” Roberts shared. “The pressure of fame was a burden she could never fully escape.”
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