Bobby Brown: Whitney Was Bi, With Robyn Crawford

Whitney Houston -- one of the biggest stars of the late 20th-century -- was bisexual and in a longtime relationship with her assistant Robyn Crawford, according to her ex-husband, singer Bobby Brown.

The relevation was made in Brown's new memoir, Every Little Step, and reported in US Weekly. In 2000, Houston told Out that she was not gay or bisexual:

"I suppose [the gay rumors] comes from knowing people...who are. I don't care who you sleep with. If I'm your friend, I'm your friend. I have friends who are in the community. And I'm sure that in my days of bein' out, hanging with my friends, having nothing but females around me, something's gotta be wrong with that."

"Listen, I took a lot of grief for shit that wasn't me, OK, 'cause I had friends, 'cause I was close to people," she says, eyes blazing and hands waving. "But that ain't me. I know what I am. I'm a mother. I'm a woman. I'm heterosexual. Period."

Brown surmises that part of Houston's reason for remaining in the closet was her religious mother, singer Cissy Houston. After her daughter's death from a drug overdose in February 2012, the elder Houston told Oprah Winfrey she would not condone her daughter being in a same-sex relationship (see below) and has contended that Whitney and Crawford were just "good friends."

Brown believes the pressure Houston felt to cut Crawford from her life directly led to the singer's death.

"I really feel that if Robyn was accepted into Whitney's life, Whitney would still be alive today," Brown says. "She didn't have close friends with her anymore."

Crawford is openly gay and has children with her wife. She has never spoken publicly about her rumored relationship with Houston but did pen a touching tribute to Houston after her death that appeared in Esquire.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.