In new interviews, Angela Bassett defends her right to tell Whitney Houston's story while Da Brat speaks out about her best friend Mariah Carey and her divorce from Nick Cannon. Watch the clips inside....
"American Horror Story" star Angela Bassett stopped by HuffPost Live to dish about her role on the hit series, but a viewer's question directed the interview towards controversial territory: her Whitney Houston biopic.
A few months ago, we told you about LIFETIME tapping Angela to direct the film for her directorial debut, and the firestorm it ignited. NO ONE from Camp Houston was pleased about the film, and Bobbi Kristina and Cissy Houston were particularly outraged. Bobbi Kris even called Angela the "B" word.
Now that filming has wrapped, and former "ANTM" star YaYa DaCosta has fulfilled her duties as Whitney, Angela is able to address her critics and reflect. Mainly - she takes issue with anyone who says she didn't have the right to tell Whitney's story because she didn't know her well. Angela responds by saying, who really knows anyone.....but the person and the Lord they serve?
"I did spend a little time [with] her, but to know her intimately, intimately -- I mean, who does but the person and the Lord they serve? Who knows a person? But I know a little about being in the spotlight, a little about celebrity and its demands, a little about trying to find a mate and the support that's needed in your industry -- mine being acting, hers [the] music industry. I know about being a woman, about being a black woman that came up in a little hometown ... and yet you are able to become a success because of this God-given gift or talent. So I know a little bit about what it might have been like."
Right on Angela!
Angela comments on making the Whitney Houston biopic at 10:15
In other interviews...
Rapper Da Brat co-hosted with Rickey Smiley recently where she was drilled about a number of topics including her thoughts about Iggy Azalea (and people comparing her style to Da Brat), the upcoming Aaliyah biopic and her thoughts on the Mariah/Nick divorce. Here are the highlights:
On Mariah's divorce:
"She's good on taking care of the babies and raising them she's got a lot of help and she's ding fine and yes we are still friends and everything and Nick is a great person too. I'm not going to take nothing away from him because she's one of my best friends.
You know what I mean? They you know had their issues just like every married couple do and they are moving forward. She is and so is he.On Iggy Azalea and Nicki Minaj:
"I like Nicki and I like Iggy. People tell me that Iggy sound a
lot like me. I don't hear it but so many people tell me. I mean I feel like she's got her own style. Brat is going to Brat. There's only one Brat. Twitter - only one Brat! Instagram So-So Brat. But I am not really worried about it. I take it as a compliment. If you are mimicking my style of sound like me in anyway you are just letting people know that you love Brat."On the Aaliyah biopic:
"I've been hearing different things but what kind of upset me a little bit is that they didn't talk to her family because who would know her most to me would be her family, her brother - her other and it kind of hurt my feelings that they didn't talk to them to see who the real Aaliyah is you know talk to Missy or talk to Timbaland or talk to people who worked with her or who is really, really close to her. I don't know who they got their information from and it might be feasible but to me it might have been better to get it from her
parents - somebody who has known her since birth."On Wendy Williams producing the film:
"I hope [the bio pic] is really good because Wendy Williams is producing even though Wendy Williams slayed me when my
court stuff came out and said I should be thrown under the jail something that I did seven years ago like her a** ain't never made no mistakes but we ain't going to talk about that." "I hoping that it's going to be good and they portray Aaliyah in a great light and I am kind of rooting for Wendy to do well too on this production."
By the way, Brat is reuniting with Missy, Lil Kim and co. to perform "Ladies Night" at the Soul Train Music Awards. She spoke about why Angie Martinez won't be there though....
Photos via Angela's Facebook/Da Brat's Instagram