Ray J is squashing the persistent rumors surrounding the tragic demise of Whitney Houston. More than a decade after the Grammy-acclaimed singer passed away from an accidental drowning in her Beverly Hilton hotel room's bathtub, Ray J has addressed the online conjectures tying him to her heartbreaking demise in 2012 during a July 25th episode of Cam Newton's Funky Friday podcast. "That's the wildest fairy tale I've ever come across," exclaimed the 44-year-old, who was romantically involved with Whitney at the time. "I've been hearing this nonsense since day one."
Ray J elaborated that he had come across comments blaming him for the passing of the "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" singer, but he never saw the need to delve into their personal romance. "When you possess the truth, why bother publicizing it to everyone?" he pondered. "I never paid heed to what people were babbling about."
However, the hurtful online chatter has recently crossed the line. "Here's the unvarnished truth," he affirmed. "The manner in which they've portrayed it is hauntingly inaccurate. I wasn't even present. I was miles away in San Diego, performing at a show."
In fact, the "Sexy Can I" crooner revealed that he and Whitney had planned to announce their relationship publicly at Clive Davis's annual pre-Grammy gala, the very night she passed away. Although he felt it was tasteless to disclose details about their relationship "since the other person can't respond," Ray J, the younger brother of Whitney's Cinderella co-star Brandy, proceeded to narrate how he found out about her death.
"When I returned to the hotel, they initially didn't allow me upstairs," he recounted. "They waited until everything was sorted out and only the family was present." He also dismissed rumors that he was the one who discovered Whitney's body, clarifying that it was actually her bodyguard, Ray Watson.
"I was nowhere to be found," he emphasized. "And I detest discussing it because I had immense love for her. I never saw her in that state. To label me as the person who was there, and then add the moniker of murderer on top of it, is absolutely ridiculous."
Just last month, the "One Wish" singer called out influencers for exploiting their platforms to further twist the narrative. "I'll let a story unfold because I don't owe anyone an explanation," Ray J clarified to Moneice Slaughter on Twitch. "But when things spiral out of control and false narratives are concocted, I have to speak up, whether I want to or not. Because, seriously, this stuff is insane."
