4:00 — We open on Oprah, looking fab in a snug eggplant dress, introducing a highlight reel of yesterday’s interview. There’s a focus on Bobbi Kristina, whom Whitney says witnessed the Bobby Brown spitting in her face incident.
We jump from yesterday’s clips to a new segment of the interview. Whitney talks about how she and Bobby Christina consequently went to California, where she waited for Bobby to come… but he never did. This was 2006. She got on a plane with two pairs of pants and just left. Because she didn’t want to be in an “unholy matrimony.”
4:06 — Whitney, with the help of her mother, finally lets it all go. She “can’t play” her mother.
4:14 — Oprah now wants to know who Whitney loves, and she responds, “The Lord.” She adds her family and daughter to list — and Oprah as well, for praying for her in the background. We segue into a conversation about Whitney’s dad. After he died, she had her own funeral “in privacy.”
4:20 — Moving on to Michael Jackson’s death. Whitney says the passing was “devastating” because she’s known the family for at least 20 years. She knew he was on painkillers, and remembers feeling scared when she looked at images of the duo performing at an awards ceremony and both were bone thin. She says he basically cut her off by the time of his trial — he’d speak to her on the phone, but wouldn’t let anyone see him. Oprah is lobbing softballs — “Does your heart still ache about it?”
4:23 — Oprah wants to know if she feels the love of the fans, and what she’s learned about this entire process, between the drugs, and again, the evil eyes on the wall.
4:24 — Oprah wants to know why she couldn’t leave. Whitney says: “Habit.”
4:28 — Time to plug the new album, “I Look To You.” The song was written by R. Kelly 10 years ago, apparently. It was the first song presented to her for the album, and was the “flavor” of what she wanted to convey to listeners. Whitney says the song is “beyond herself.”
4:30 — Oprah moves onto Bobbi Kristina, whom Whitney says is starting to sing and discover teenage heartache.
4:32 — Whitney and Oprah decide this is not a comeback moment; it’s a “come through.” She’s, like she says on the album’s final track, a “Soldier Girl.”
4:33 — Whitney says she is drug-free, but still has urges. And she’ll still grab a drink. But no coke. She can only commit to one day at a time. Ugh. Oprah wants to know if she now knows her own strength. Whitney says she would ask the Holy Spirit to guide her. Alas, no “crack is whack”-esque commentary.
4:36 — Oprah says that the first thing she did “this” morning was pray for Whitney and hope for a clear channel. Whitney says she’s connecting with Oprah spiritually. Oprah says she’s happy to be vessel for her.
4:38 — Back to the studio! Oprah introduced Whitney Houston to an audience full of screaming fans. She’s now dressed in a black dress with diamonds adorning her ears and fingers. She begins singing “I Didn’t Know My Own Strength,” which was written by Grammy award winning songwriter Diane Warren, and is Oprah’s favorite cut off the new album. She riffs on on the final line and ends on, “Oprah said I was not built to break.”
4:48 — Oprah says she couldn’t sleep after the initial interview, and hopes Whitney didn’t have have regrets in doing the interview. Whitney says no. Oprah asks if Bobby knows she’s doing this interview. Whiteny says no. Oprah asks, are you concerned? Whitney says, uh no. She’s not being “malicious or facetious.” Her goal was to be “relieved.” And now she’s talked it out.
4:51 — Oprah introduced Bobbi Kristina, who says, words can not express how proud she is of her mother. She also says that singing is her “plan.”
4:54 — In a clip, Jennifer Hudson talks about singing Whitney Houston songs as a girl. We move on Clive Davis, Christina Aguilera, Dionne Warwick, and Celine Dion.
4:56 — Oprah shouts out to Clive Davis, who’s in the audience. She thanks him for bringing Whitney back to the fans, and he says her album debuted at number one of the Billboard charts.
4:57 — The mutual lovefest ends.