Denzel Washington ‘Wanted to Protect’ Whitney Houston: ‘She Wanted to Be So Tough’

Denzel Washington reflected on his time working with the late Whitney Houston and recalled feeling the need to shelter her from the world.

"I felt like I always wanted to protect her," the Oscar winner, 69, said on Saturday, June 15, while speaking at the African Black Film Festival. When host Chaz Ebert , widow of the late Roger Ebert , asked whether Washington saw a “vulnerability” in Houston, the Training Day actor replied, "So you really got that?"

Washington then went on to confirm that “of course” he saw vulnerability in Houston, who died in February 2012 at age 48 after accidentally drowning with contributing factors of heart disease and cocaine use.

"I always felt like I wanted to protect her. You know?” Washington continued. “She wanted to be so tough, but she really wasn't. That's all."

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Houston and Washington worked together on the 1996 family drama The Preacher’s Wife , which also starred Courtney B. Vance , Jenifer Lewis , Lionel Richie , Loretta Devine and Gregory Hines . Houston played Julia Coleman Biggs, the wife of a New York City pastor (Vance), while Washington played an angel named Dudley who helps the family get through the Christmas season. The film was a remake of the 1947 movie The Bishop’s Wife , which starred Cary Grant , David Niven and Loretta Young .

Following Houston’s death, Washington opened up about his friend and costar in an interview with GQ .

“Whitney was my girl, and she had done so well in recovery,” Washington said in September 2012. “And that is the toughest part about addiction. “And that was a monster drug that got a hold of her, it was a mean one. You can't go back to that one. Nobody beats that.”

The actor added: "Maybe she thought she could have one. And then the next thing you know, her body was betraying her. She didn't know that her body was aging quickly.

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“She couldn't take it. Your body can only take so much.”

He went on to say that he hoped Houston’s death would serve as an example for others struggling with addiction.

"It's more of an example to me or the rest of us to keep it together,” he explained. “I was listening to her song 'I Look to You.' It's prophetic.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).