‘I Know He Dreamt Of Marrying Her’: Whitney Houston & Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston, two legendary pop icons of the 1980s. Both were crossover artists who were catapulted into superstardom at a young age, both breaking barriers on MTV and in mainstream white media. Presumably mixing in the same circles and going the same events at the time, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that the two hit it off.

But what was kept hush to the public at the time, was that Jackson and Houston had a top-secret affair at the peak of their fame, with some reports stating that Jackson even said he dreamt of marrying Houston.

Before Michael, Whitney’s had affections for another Jackson, his brother Jermaine Jackson that is. Whitney collaborated with Jermaine in the early 80s, who was also one of the producers for her self-titled debut album. During this period, the two fell for each other romantically even though Jermaine was married to his first wife, Motown’s Berry Gordy’s daughter, Hazel. So, their romance only extended to a short-lived affair, as it couldn’t evolve into anything more because of Jermaine’s marriage.

During this period, the relationship became the inspiration for the video to her hit song Saving All My Love for You.

As Whitney Houston’s star began to take off as a result of her chart-topping debut and subsequent albums, Jackson and Whitney would regularly meet and interact at a string of award shows and industry functions.

Michael Jackson’s former bodyguard, Matt Fiddes stated ‘They met because they were two of the biggest recording artists on the planet and mixing in the same circles. They instantly connected as kindred spirits because they understood each other’s massive fame’.

But no romantic relationship was ignited in till six years after her affair with his older brother, Jermaine. At this time, Michael and Whitney met again in 1991, when they were both global superstars. Jackson, then 33, had just renewed his recording contract with Sony for a record 40 million dollars.

Whitney was 28 and riding high on the worldwide success of her three debut albums which shifted a total 55 million copies and contained mammoth hits including Greatest Love of All, How Will I Know and I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

It is reported that Jackson fell in love with the diva after a series of weekends spent together at his Neverland ranch.

MJ’s former bodyguard, Matt, stated ‘Whitney practically moved in to Michael’s ranch and they had a fling like any other young couple… she really loved Michael and he adored her. Michael told me they once shared a passionate kiss, and she told me she was at one time very much in love with him’

Alas, the love affair was to only last two weeks, but Matt said Jackson never forgot his love for Whitney.

‘Michael said later he had always hoped the relationship had gone further, and I know he dreamed of marrying her’

But with such a promising start, what went wrong?

Close friend David Gest said previously that ‘he was too shy. Later, he confessed to me he should have made every move’.

Some others claimed it is because his brother Jermaine had her first. That he was furious when he heard she had also slept with him, but this didn’t stop him holding a candle for her his whole life.

A year later she was married to Bobby Brown — the man some blamed for worsening her drug-use and sending her into a downward spiral of addiction. A habit that both her and Jackson struggled with over the years to come.

Ten years later in 2001, Michael and Whitney had a tearful reunion at New York’s Madison Square Garden to celebrate his 30 years in music. Both legendary artists were shadows of their former selves as for years they struggled with continued substance abuse. Jackson’s former bodyguard said: ‘they were both a mess to be honest… the two of them whispered that they loved each other as they hugged. The emotion was written all over their faces.’

After Jackson’s drug-related death in 2009, Whitney would often speak fondly of the ‘King of Pop’ and reminisce about the treasured times they spent together in Neverland. He flew her in a helicopter, at the time Michael had his pet chimpanzee, Bubbles, which started licking Whitney’s toe. Whitney thought it was actually Michael licking her toe only to see it was Bubbles, the monkey as she called it. She then told Michael ‘Michael, I’ll take Bubbles home and not you’ and giggled.

More recently, Brandy (was worked with Whitney Houston in the late 90s) reignited online speculation that tragic stars Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston were more than friends after revealing that the late ‘King of Pop’ had a secret crush on Houston. The ‘Boy is Mine’ singer stunned fans when she shared a vintage snap of Jackson planting a kiss on the cheek of a glowing Houston.

She captioned the nostalgic shot of her friend Houston with the words: ‘She told me that Michael had a crush on her… I was like, whoa!!!!!!… Never seen this and I’m over here high and low key losing it!’