Whitney Houston: FBI files on alleged threats released

 

The FBI has released files spanning a decade from 1988 to 1999 detailing three investigations it conducted on behalf of Whitney Houston.The singer died in a hotel bathroom on 11 February last year.

The records, numbering more than 120 pages, were posted online on Monday, showing letters from obsessed fans and an alleged extortion attempt in 1992.The Bureau found no crime actually occurred and there was no evidence of criminal threats in the fan mail.

Following Houston's marriage to New Edition singer Bobby Brown in 1992, the files show someone considered to be a close friend and "privy to much personal information" had allegedly attempted to blackmail her to the tune of $250,000 (£166,250), threatening to put private information into the public arena unless she paid out.
Houston was interviewed by the FBI at the New Jersey offices of her management company about the extortion investigation, but the records are heavily redacted.

Whitney Houston was one of the world's best-selling music artists, having sold over 200 million records