Kevin Costner shares how he stood his ground after CNN requested he cut down his eulogy at Whitney Houston's funeral: 'They can get over that'
Kevin Costner revealed this week that CNN tried to get him to shorten the eulogy he planned to deliver for Whitney Houston at her 2012 funeral.
The 69-year-old Yellowstone star shared that the news network asked him to cut his tribute to his late Bodyguard star so that it could work in commercial breaks while chatting with Dax Shepard, 49, for his Armchair Expert podcast.
But Costner — who recently said he 'took a beating' from Yellowstone producers after he opted to mostly stay silent amid conflicts over the final season of the series — wasn't willing to cut a word from his eulogy, and he dared CNN to cut to commercial in the middle of his speech.
Costner was one of eight people who spoke at Houston's funeral, which was held in Newark, New Jersey.
The legendary singer was found dead in a bathtub on February 11, 2012, just hours before she was to attend Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy Awards party. She was just 48.
Kevin Costner, 69, spoke about resisting CNN's request for him to shorten his eulogy for Whitney Houston at her 2012 memorial on Monday's episode of Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast; pictured in February 2012 at Houston's funeral
The legendary singer was found dead in a bathtub on February 11, 2012, just hours before she was to attend Clive Davis ' annual pre-Grammy Awards party. She was just 48; pictured in 2009 in London
She was later determined to have died in an accidental drowning due to a combination of chronic cocaine abuse and heart disease.
Toxicology reports later indicated that Houston had used cocaine shortly before her death, and she also had Benadryl, the benzodiazepine Xanax, cannabis and the muscle relaxant Flexeril in her system.
While speaking about his contribution to the memorial service, Costner told Shepard that the issues about his speech — which came out to just under 20 minutes — popped up shortly after he put the finishing touches on it.
'I had been working on this speech… and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,' he explained. 'Somebody said, "CNN’s here, they wouldn't mind if your remarks were kept shorter because they’re going to have commercials."'
But Costner wasn't interested in giving his former costar a shortened eulogy in order to appease CNN's commercial desires.
'I said, "They can get over that. They can play the commercial while I’m talking, I don’t care,"' he recalled saying.
It's unclear if CNN or other cable news channels ultimately cut out of his speech to air commercials or if they broadcast his text in its entirety.
The Horizon star recalled the discomfort he felt before giving his speech, as he worried he might be going too long even for some of the attendees or other speakers.
'There were some people that really wanted to speak, and they’re kind of staring daggers at me. What was I going to say?' Costner recalled. 'I started, and about 17 minutes later I was done.'
Other speakers at the event included Houston's longtime friend, producer and mentor Clive Davis, as well as her cousin Dionne Warwick, her music director Rickey Minor and her security guard Ray Watson.
Aretha Franklin, Houston's 'honorary aunt,' had also been scheduled to sing a song in the late songstress' memory, but she did not attend the service.
'I had been working on this speech… and I tried to compile everything I wanted to do and finally crafted this speech,' Costner explained. 'Somebody said, "CNN’s here, they wouldn't mind if your remarks were kept shorter because they’re going to have commercials"'; seen at the funeral in 2012 in Newark, New Jersey
But Costner wasn't interested in giving his former costar a shortened eulogy in order to appease CNN's commercial desires. 'I said, "They can get over that. They can play the commercial while I’m talking, I don’t care,"' he recalled saying; pictured May 17 in Cannes, France
Other speakers at the event included Houston's longtime friend, producer and mentor Clive Davis (pictured with her in 2007), as well as her cousin Dionne Warwick, her music director Rickey Minor and her security guard Ray Watson
Costner star with Houston in 1992's massive hit The Bodyguard. He played a former Secret Service agent hired to guard Houston's pop star from a crazed stalker
Costner also explained to Shepard that it was the pleadings and encouragement of Warwick that convinced him to give the eulogy.
'I could feel the weight on her, now it’s shifted to me,' he said of giving the eulogy. '"What am I going to say about this little girl?"' he recalled worrying.
But everything seemed to suit his speech once he arrived at the memorial.
'[I] went back to that church in Newark and it was filled. It was electric,' he recounted. 'There were two bands playing, the church was alive. It was like, boom!'
Costner worked with Houston on their 1992 romantic drama The Bodyguard, in which the singer shored up her acting bona fides by playing a pop star similar to herself who was threatened by a crazed stalker.
Costner played a former Secret Service agent–turned–body guard hired to protect Houston's character, though their romantic feelings threaten to get in the way of his duty.
The film earned mixed reviews, but it was massively popular with viewers. It became the second highest–grossing film of 1992 and was at the time the tenth highest–grossing film of all time.
Houston's soundtrack was also a massive hit, becoming the biggest-selling soundtrack and the best-selling album by a woman.
It featured Houston's cover of Dolly Parton's I Will Always Love You, which came to be intimately associated with her.
The single spend 14 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which broke a record at the time.
Costner's next major project is his Western epic Horizon: An American Saga, which has now swelled to a planned four films.
The film earned mixed reviews, but it was massively popular with viewers. It became the second highest–grossing film of 1992 and was at the time the tenth highest–grossing film of all time
Costner's next major project is his Western epic Horizon: An American Saga, which has now swelled to a planned four films. The first two will be released this year, and he began filming the third in May
He shot the first two films back-to-back, and they are planned to have close releases in June and August of this year.
The star, co-writer and director began filming the third part of the series in 2023, but it was delayed due to the writers and actors strikes in Hollywood before beginning in earnest in May of this year. Costner is also in development on a fourth film.
However, the first Horizon film received mixed reviews when it premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, and some box office prognosticators fear the films may be doomed to flop.
However, Costner's popularity on the Western crime series Yellowstone — and the recent lack of new episodes for fans — may encourage some viewers to check out Costner's multipart Western epic.
