Whitney Houston touched a lot of people’s lives, and it’s only after her death that we are fully understanding just how many lives she became a part of.

Today on the Wendy Williams Show, Williams gave a heartfelt message about what Houston meant to her and why she always felt a special connection to Houston throughout her life.

“I was at home in New Jersey when I heard the news, and I don’t remember much else after that,” she said. “I know I wasn’t making phone calls..I turned off the tv…I kinda shut down.”

“After I say what I say, I’m not talking about it anymore,” she said with a shaky voice and tear-filled eyes. “I felt very close to Whitney, even though this is a woman that I never met,” she said, going on to explain that the only time the two were in the same room was in 1985, when Williams was a DJ in college. Houston had come to her college. “This new singer with this great voice came to Constitution Hall and that was the only time in our lives that we’ve ever been in the same room together.” She also said that she interviewed her in 2003.

She said what bonded she and Houston together were their love for the parents and their substance abuse. “It’s been almost 15 years since I smoked last from a crackpipe,” she said. “I wished for us both to be really sober and really aware.”

You can watch the video either at the show’s official site or embedded below.

Written by:Monique Jones