Los Angeles, May 17 (IANS): "Whitney" a documentary on late singer Whitney Houston that debuted at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, has stated that the Grammy winner was allegedly sexually abused as a child by her cousin Dee Dee Warwick.

The revelation comes at the end of the film when Houston's former longtime assistant, Mary Jones, alleges that the singer told her that she was molested as a young child by her cousin Dee Dee, the niece of Houston's mother Cissy Houston, reports ew.com.

Jones noted that Houston's alleged molestation had a lasting effect on her life. "It made her question her sexual preference," she said.

On why Houston never told her mother, Jones said the late singer was probably "ashamed. If Cissy had known, she would have done something about it, because Cissy loves her children."

Gary Houston, Whitney's half-brother, also said he was sexually abused between the age of seven and nine by a female family member, in the documentary.

Houston died at the age of 48 on February 11, 2012, by accidentally drowning in a bathtub following a heart attack brought on after years of substance abuse. Dee Dee Warwick died in 2008 at age of 63.

"Whitney", which was made with the cooperation of Houston's estate, provides intimate insight into the late singer's personal life and struggles.

The documentary also touches on other aspects of the star's troubled life, giving viewers a glimpse into her drug abuse as well as her tumultuous relationship with former-husband Bobby Brown, who also appears in it.

"Whitney" will be released in the US on July 6.