Whitney Houston FBI Files Reveal Extortion Attempts


Whitney Houston’s FBI files reveal that the Grammy winning singer may have been the subject of at least one extortion attempt.

Houston, who passed away on the eve of the Grammy Awards in 2012, received several threatening letters throughout her career.

The NY Post reports that one letter written in 1992, which was marked “extortion by the FBI, demanded that Houston pay $100,000 to prevent “details” of her “private life” spilling into the public. But it doesn’t appear that Houston paid any money since another letter was sent demanding $250,000 from the singer. The second letter promised to reveal “intimate details” about the singer’s “romantic relationships.”

Whitney Houston’s FBI file is heavily redacted but the 128 page document does reveal a few more details about the extortion attempt.

According to Digtriad.com, Houston considered the woman who sent the letters “a friend” and admitted that she had discussed “personal things” with the extortionist.

The document also reveals that Houston may have paid the woman hush money. The file shows that Houston’s father, John Houston, sent the woman a confidentiality agreement along with an undisclosed amount of money. The FBI closed the case soon after.

In addition to the extortion attempt, Whitney Houston’s FBI files also reveal that the singer had a few potentially dangerous stalkers.

One male fan from Vermont professed his love to Houston. The singer received fan mail from all around the world during her career but the FBI saw something dangerous in this unnamed man’s letter. The agency thought that the man “might hurt someone with some crazy idea and not realize how stupid an idea it was until after it was done.”

The fan, who said that he was “truly in love” with the singer, admitted in one letter that he frequently wrote letters (more than 60) and often sent the singer flowers. The letters may have been considered harmless but when Whitney failed to respond her admirer started to get angry.

One letter reads:

“I have gotten mad at her a few times. … it scares me that I might come up with some crazy or stupid or really dumb idea that might be as bad or even worse than that… I might hurt someone with some crazy idea … Miss Whitney, why can’t you respond to my 70 plus letters? … You probably think I’m crazy. Well, (maybe) I am. I just can’t give up. I have to keep trying. I really am in love with you.”

Houston’s FBI files reveal that the singer was subjected to at least two more extortion attempts. One man in 1988 threatened to tell the world on The Phil Donahue Show that he was in love with the singer. The man apparently thought that the singer would be embarrassed by his confession. Another man claimed to have tapes of Whitney singing his music. After being confronted by police, the man promised to stop threatening Houston.

Whitney Houston died on the eve of the Grammy Awards in 2012. Her death put the Houston family, as well as the singer’s tumultuous relationship with Bobby Brown, back in the spotlight. Her daughter Kristina is reportedly getting married to her adopted brother Nick Gordon and Bobby Brown is getting ready to start his prison sentence for a DUI.

Here are the official Whitey Houston FBI files:

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