Whitney Houston FBI files released in March reveal an extortion investigation in 1992, and document unrelated, threatening fan mail.
The FBI released files relating to deceased singer Whitney Houston on March 5, revealing an extortion investigation that took place in 1992 in which an associate of hers threatened to reveal personal information to the media.
The unnamed suspect had, according to the documents, “knowledge of intimate details regarding Whitney Houston’s romantic relationships, and will go public with the information unless [name redacted] is paid $250,000.”
The files also chronicle the avid, and at times scary, attention Houston received from fans. Letters from 1988 and 1999 are included.
A fan from Vermont wrote in 1988, “Miss Whitney, Why can’t you respond to my 70 plus letters.”
“You probably think that I am crazy. Well, meebe I am,” the same man wrote. “Please, keep smiling,” he signed his letters.
The phrase that really caught Houston’s attention was, “I might hurt someone with some crazy idea.”
FBI reports state that, when authorities spoke with the fan about his statement, he told them it was not meant as a threat of physical harm. He thought he might go to the tabloids to get a response from Houston.
The report states, “[name redacted] stated that he has never considered threatening or harming Houston or anyone else. He has tried to stop writing to Houston on several occasions, but has been unable to do it permanently.”
Article first published on March 6.
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