Oprah: So you knew it was over, but you were still defending against it.

Whitney: Yeah, but I started moving furniture out of the house. I was little by little starting to take pieces of myself out of the home. And I even asked him to leave. And he said, "No, you leave." I said, "It's my house." ... And that was the time where he slapped me. But he was on probation for traffic violations. And he'd forgotten.

Oprah: Forgotten that he can't slap somebody.

Whitney: Yeah, you can't slap somebody when you're on probation. You're in violation then. So it went to domestic violence court, and I just could not see me putting him in jail.

Oprah: So were you always appearing and making those court appearances because you felt you had to stand by your man?

Whitney: I had to. Yeah, I'm his wife. 

Oprah: You know what I get now that I didn't get then as just an observer in the world? ... What I now get is that you took those vows seriously.

Whitney: Very, Oprah. To my heart.


Bobby Brown was not convicted and has publicly denied ever hitting Whitney Houston.