Kevin Costner says he was Whitney Houston’s ‘imaginary bodyguard’

Kevin Costner was Whitney Houston’s “bodyguard” both on and off screen.

THE Yellow stone star, 69, spoke with Dax Shepard and podcast host Monica Padman on the June 3 episode of Armchair expert about his storied career and briefly divulged his time with the legendary singer on the set of The bodyguard.

Toward the beginning of the episode, Shepard, 49, admitted to Costner that he wanted to ask about the actor’s late partner, specifically about their dynamic on the set of the 1992 hit film.

Costner agreed and spoke fondly of his late friend. He immediately explained that director Mick Jackson “wasn’t comfortable” with Houston, noting that he himself cast her in the role, quickly adding, “I loved her.” It’s not like this giant mystery. So I knew she would have to be the one.

Costner explained that because he “produced” her in the film and asked her “not to bring an entourage,” there was a moment when she (him) trusted him. He noted that at one point, while watching her, he “could see that the director was afraid of her.”

“I started mentoring her,” Costner said. “And I wasn’t trying to usurp my manager, but I made him a promise not to fuck him.”

Costner continued to reveal how he kept his promise to Houston and his manager at the time, Clive Davis. He noted that the film was not tested properly initially, but he “promised” her that the film would work. “She will always love me, in the song. I was always going to keep my promise to her.

As the interview continued, Shepard admitted how “in love” he was with Houston’s “once-in-a-generation” talent.

“There was a moment where I knew that when Whitney came, I said, ‘Look, you can’t have an entourage, but I’ll take care of you if there’s an important person for you’ – turned out to be Robyn Crawford — I said, “Let’s have Robyn with you… I don’t have (an entourage), you won’t have one.” we have started.

Shepard chimed in, noting how Costner “must have made him feel really safe,” adding, “that’s the surroundings, I mean, there’s a lot of fear -”

Costner then added, “I don’t know what it was, but we had a moment and I realized the world had a higher idea of ​​who we were, so I basically embraced it.” I was his imaginary bodyguard.

“It’s so cute. It works on all those levels,” Shepard responded. “I think there were probably some real things happening that really helped in what we ended up seeing. You were his bodyguard – that’s not even rhetoric.

“Yeah, psychologically,” Padman, 36, concluded.

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