Winnie Harlow Responds To Criticism Of Her Whitney Houston Halloween Costume: ‘My Video Wasn’t Mocking Whitney’

Winnie Harlow has responded to criticism of her Whitney Houston Halloween costume, saying she never meant to insult the late singer.

Harlow recreated Houston’s appearance at the 2001 BET Awards, and posted a subsequent video of her reenacting the icon’s famous Lifetime Achievement Award speech. After some blowback, Harlow addressed the situation on her Instagram Story.

“My video wasn’t mocking Whitney. That clip has always been one of my favorite of hers,” Harlow wrote, via People. “She was radiant, funny, confident and captivating. She was being awarded. The way she moved across that stage with flair and swag? Iconic.”

She continued, “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.”

Celebrities had mostly praised Harlow’s costume in her Instagram comments, with Naomi Campbell, Halle Berry, Ciara, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rita Ora and Law Roach showering Harlow in praise.

Houston struggled with drug addiction throughout most of her adult life. She died from an accidental drowning in 2012, with an investigation concluding that heart disease and cocaine were contributing factors. The report also found that the singer had marijuana, Xanax, Benadryl and other meds in her system.

Whitney Houston’s impact on the Billboard charts is both historic and unmatched. With 11 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, she stands among the top 10 most successful solo artists in U.S. chart history. From 1985 to 1988, she made history as the only artist ever to land seven consecutive No. 1 singles, a record that still stands in 2025.

Her signature ballad “I Will Always Love You” spent 14 weeks at No. 1, setting a then-record for the longest-running No. 1 by a solo female artist and topping multiple Billboard charts simultaneously. She earned 16 Billboard Music Awards, including a record-breaking 11 wins in a single year (1993), and remains the most awarded female artist in history.