Why Whitney Houston’s Stepmother Once Sued Her

When the lawsuit became public knowledge, many were already questioning Whitney’s net worth due to other financial issues. For example, CBS News explains that her home in New Jersey was once in danger of foreclosure. The lawsuit added fuel to the gossip fire but, luckily, the final outcome was in Whitney’s favor: Barbara Houston lost the initial trial and a follow-up appeal. A FindLaw blog post explains that Barbara lost because she didn’t produce enough evidence regarding the alleged oral agreement between Whitney and her father regarding how the life insurance payout should be used. However, as Forbes reported, Whitney not only won the case against Barbara, but was poised to take the issue one step further before her death: foreclosing on the home at the heart of the lawsuit.

This may seem like a harsh response, but the article explains that Barbara was four decades younger than John Houston, and their romance began when Houston’s mother and father were still married. The dubious start to Barbara’s relationship with Whitney’s father likely played a role in the singer’s willingness to foreclose on the home. Court documents shared by ABC News support this theory: “Although Barbara and Whitney may be considered stepmother and daughter, that relationship never really jelled.” The article also reveals that Whitney had drafted a petition to have Barbara evicted from the contested property. Sadly, Whitney died before filing the complaint, leaving the issue to be resolved by her estate.

Source: CBS News, FindLaw, Forbes, ABC News