Whitney Houston gets her own Barbie 14 years after her passing

Whitney Houston has been honoured with her very first Barbie doll, released on what would have been her 63rd birthday. 

The doll is styled after her look from the famous 1987 music video I Wanna Dance with Somebody.

The doll is dressed in a bright purple dress and bold earrings with colourful makeup and a small microphone stand, all inspired by that iconic performance. 

Mattel created the doll with Houston's estate, which is led by her sister-in-law, Pat Houston.

Pat shared that talks about making a Whitney Houston doll actually began many years before the singer passed away in 2012. She said Whitney had never really put her name behind many products, but conversations about a doll started around 20 years ago. 

Whitney had once hoped to create a doll based on her role in the movie The Bodyguard.

Pat said she feels honoured to finally see this project come to life and believes it will leave a lasting impact for years to come. “I witnessed the care, I witnessed the creativity, and the commitment behind celebrating Whitney’s legacy. It just made a very, very meaningful experience.”

She also praised the details from “the earrings, to the colour of the hair, to the colour of the dress, to the details on the shoes.”

The team chose the I Wanna Dance with Somebody look because of how deeply it connects with fans. 

The doll was first shown at a gala event in Atlanta and is now available for purchase online and in stores.