Whitney Houston’s New Barbie Doll Unveiled
Pat Houston explains how the collectible from Mattel was twenty years in the making.
Photo from Matel Barbie Signature Whitney Houston Doll promotional materials.
Whitney Houston’s legacy is being celebrated with her very own Barbie doll. On August 9, which would have been Whitney’s 63rd birthday, Mattel released the Barbie Signature Whitney Houston Doll, which celebrates the iconic singer’s “record-breaking career, legacy and timeless music that inspired generations of artists and continues to resonate with fans around the world,” says a press release.
The doll was created in collaboration with Pat Houston, Whitney’s sister-in-law and executor of The Estate of Whitney E. Houston. The collectible figure memorializes the singer’s 1987 look from the “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” music video; complete with a microphone stand.
“Whitney had never really endorsed anything, and we started having conversations about her brand ... we talked about a Mattel doll 20 years ago,” Houston told PEOPLE. She also revealed that the original talks with the toy company was to re-create Houston’s iconic look from the 1992 hit film The Bodyguard.
“I’m just really happy that we’re seeing this doll come to fruition,” Houston shared. “And it’s going to be a lasting influence across generations,” she continues. “I’m just honored to be in this place at this time, and we’re actually doing it.”
Whitney Houston died in 2012 at the age of 48.
“Her songs, they define generations, they’ve broken records. She’s touched hearts,” Pat Houston says. “They’re timeless and soundtracks to millions of lives, and are a testament to a voice that will never be duplicated, and her music is a testament to a voice that will never be duplicated. And that’s why the Barbie is a fitting celebration of her extraordinary legacy, reminding us that her music and her elegance and influence continue to inspire and will inspire new generations.”
The doll was first unveiled at the Fifth Legacy of Love Gala, an annual charity event hosted by the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation, in Atlanta on August 8.
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