After months of speculation about Lifetime’s upcoming Whitney Houston biopic, the first trailer is here — and shows both the singer’s professional highs and personal lows: One moment she’s singing “I Will Always Love You” in a sparkly dress onstage; the next she’s engaging in a screaming match with Bobby Brown.
Yaya DaCosta, a one-time America’s Next Top Model Contestant, plays Houston in the Angela Bassett-directed film. Bassett, who’s making her directorial debut with Whitney, wanted to focus on Houston’s relationship with Brown, one that was often perceived as tumultuous. “I really just want to tell a story about a boy and a girl who fell in love,” Bassett told EW in June.
But the trailer focuses more on Houston and Brown falling out of love than in it — they fight, they scream, they cry. When they aren’t fighting, Houston is snorting drugs — and occasionally appearing on stage to do the thing she’s famous for: sing.
Whitney airs Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. on Lifetime.
More Must-Reads From TIME
- Jane Fonda Champions Climate Action for Every Generation
- Biden’s Campaign Is In Trouble. Will the Turnaround Plan Work?
- Why We're Spending So Much Money Now
- The Financial Influencers Women Actually Want to Listen To
- Breaker Sunny Choi Is Heading to Paris
- Why TV Can’t Stop Making Silly Shows About Lady Journalists
- The Case for Wearing Shoes in the House
- Want Weekly Recs on What to Watch, Read, and More? Sign Up for Worth Your Time
Contact us at letters@time.com