Whitney Houston's former hairstylist, Tiffanie Dixon, has publicly refuted claims made by Oprah Winfrey regarding the singer's final appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in 2009. Winfrey had recently stated that Houston was under the influence of drugs and fell off the stage during the taping of the interview, which was intended to mark Houston's comeback after a period of rehabilitation.

Dixon, who was present during the taping, asserted that Winfrey's account is untrue. "It's not true. She fell because they did not rope off the stage… I was standing right there," Dixon stated. She maintains that Houston "was not high" at the time and that Winfrey's words are baseless. Dixon expressed her distress over Winfrey's comments, describing them as "a lie" and stating that Winfrey "has a lot of nerve."

Representatives for the Whitney Houston estate also disputed Winfrey's claims, explaining that the singer did fall but it occurred during a sound check due to the poor lighting and her unfamiliarity with the stage. The estate stressed that Houston was "absolutely not high."

A source close to the situation corroborated this, describing Houston as "upbeat and happy" on the day of her appearance and confirming she was not using drugs. This aligns with earlier accounts; veteran journalist Roger Friedman recalled a 2021 Zoom call with Clive Davis where Winfrey herself reportedly said Houston's slip was not drug-related.

Houston appeared on Winfrey's show to promote her album "I Look to You" and to discuss her past struggles with addiction and her divorce from Bobby Brown. Dixon stated she decided to speak out because Winfrey's narrative disturbed her, emphasizing the lack of truth and validity in the claims.

Winfrey had reportedly asked her studio audience to remain silent about the incident, fearing that public knowledge of the fall would be detrimental to Houston's career. Dixon suggested that Winfrey enforced confidentiality through non-disclosure agreements and threats to terminate staff.

A representative for Winfrey did not respond to requests for comment.