Denzel Washington wanted to ‘protect’ Whitney Houston in ‘The Preacher’s Wife’

CNN
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Denzel Washington is reflecting on his relationship with the late Whitney Houston.

The couple starred together in the 1996 film “The Preacher’s Wife” and developed a friendship. Houston died of an accidental drowning in 2012 at the age of 48.

Washington spoke about the singer and actress during a career retrospective at the recent American Black Film Festival in Miami, according to People magazine.

“I always felt like I wanted to protect her,” he said. “You know? She wanted to be so tough, but she really wasn’t.

The remake of the 1947 film “The Bishop’s Wife” also starred Courtney Vance.

“For me to play her husband, I was in a state of euphoric shock,” Vance told People of Houston in November. “I loved him so much. It was a turning point in my life and Whitney played a very important role in it.

He said he was not aware at the time of the extent of his substance abuse problems.

“We were just on the sets together and we respected each other,” the actor said. “But I didn’t delve into what was going on in his life.”