In a highly emotional ''hot topic'' segment, talk show host Wendy Williams of The Wendy Williams Show (weekdays at 13:00 and 23:00 on BET, TopTV 190; episodes seen same day in South Africa as America) cracked up and broke down live on air, talking about the death of Whitney Houston.
As a recovering drug addict herself, the emotional Wendy Williams who broke down in front of her silent studio audience, said her dream for Whitney Houston was redemption one day - a dream that will now never be realized.
''Everybody's talking about it. After I say what I say, I'm not talking about it anymore. You'll have to turn on Entertainment Tonight; The View - their hot topics. I'm out.''
''Whitney and I - the same age. And both plagued with the demon of substance abuse,'' said Wendy Williams whose voice started cracking up.
''It's been almost 15 years since I smoked last from a crack pipe,'' said a downcast Wendy Williams who looked down and started sobbing.
''It's been almost 15 years since I waded to Rome Avenue in the Bronx ... for my ... drugs.''
''We love you Wendy,'' shouted an audience member.
''I'm not proud of the girl that I was. But without that girl I wouldn't be the woman that I am today. I wished for us both to be really sober and to be really aware.''
''I always pictured us being in our late 50s, 60s, with her being the number one spokesperson for 'Say No'. I just thought that we would meet, we would hug, and we'd be older and sober.''
Looking straight into the camera and with conviction, Wendy Williams continued: ''She's my Jersey girl. She's a woman like me - part of the subculture of our society: the addict.''
In silence the camera panned out and across The Wendy Williams Show studio audience. Solemn audience members held up mounted Whitney Houston photographs as the segment faded to black.
