Kevin Costner Agreed to Speak at Whitney Houston’s Memorial After a Call from ‘Broken’ Dionne Warwick (Exclusive)

Although he and Houston, who died at age 48 on on Feb. 11, 2012, had developed a close bond while shooting their hit 1992 film The Bodyguard, Costner initially opted to grieve his friend privately.

SKIP TO CONTENT

PEOPLE
SUBSCRIBE
3 Things to Know About Jenna Dewan’s Kids

ENTERTAINMENT
MOVIES
Kevin Costner Agreed to Speak at Whitney Houston’s Memorial After a Call from ‘Broken’ Dionne Warwick (Exclusive)
In a new PEOPLE cover story, the Oscar winner and ‘Horizon’ director/star shares memories from his ‘Bodyguard’ costar’s ‘electric’ memorial

By Elizabeth Leonard Published on June 20, 2024 08:30AM EDT
kevin costner whitney houston eulogy
Kevin Costner gives a eulogy during Whitney Houston’s memorial in February 2012 at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.
In the days following Whitney Houston’s death, Kevin Costner was invited to participate in any number of public tributes.

Although he and Houston, who died at age 48 on on Feb. 11, 2012, had developed a close bond while shooting their hit 1992 film The Bodyguard, Costner initially opted to grieve his friend privately.

Until Dionne Warwick called.

“Whitney was certainly so worthy to talk about, but it’s not my first instinct to go out there, to rush to the mic,” the Academy Award winner, 69, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. “But I got a call from Dionne Warwick and I could tell in her voice she was broken. I said yes to her when I had been saying no all week.”

“I heard in her voice how tired she was, how many decisions she was probably having to make, who would speak, who wouldn’t speak,” Costner continues. “She goes, ‘Kevin, can I ask you?’ and I [just] said, ‘Yes.’ “