Whitney Houston Auction to Sell Belongings, Funeral Footage
With Whitney Houston resting in peace the main focus now is on the financial well-being of her daughter, 18-year-old Bobbi Kristina.
There are plans in the works for an auction of Houston's personal belongings, but according to TMZ, footage from her three-and-a-half-hour funeral service is also going to be for sale.
The Houston family gave The Associated Press permission to provide a live feed of the funeral last Saturday. The feed was broadcast on several major television networks as well as online.
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TMZ reported that the family had told those who were broadcasting the funeral service to take down all footage within 24 hours after the funeral service ended.
The reason that they told broadcasters to pull the footage was due to previous agreements which will "license footage to several media outlets."
A source told TMZ that the family is "charging the customary fees" for use of the video to "help maximize the estate for the benefit of [Houston's daughter] Bobbi Kristina."
In addition to selling footage to raise money for Bobbi Kristina, there will also be an auction of the late singer's personal belongings. Celebrity auctioneer Darren Julien said that celebrity collectibles often become available after their namesakes die.
"It proves a point that these items, they're an investment," Julien said. "You buy items just like a stock. Buy at the right time and sell at the right time, and they just increase in value."
There are some that feel that making money off someone who has just died is on morally shaky ground, but Julien feels that this is how you honor someone of her stature.
"It's a celebration of her life," Julien said. "If you hide these things in fear that you're going to offend someone -- her life is to be celebrated. These items are historic now that she passed. They become a part of history. They should be in museums."
SEE VIDEO OF KEVIN COSTNER'S TOUCHING EULOGY AT WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FUNERAL
SEE VIDEO OF ALICIA KEYS SINGING AT WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FUNERAL
SEE VIDEO OF STEVIE WONDER SINGING AT WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FUNERAL
SEE VIDEO OF R. KELLY'S 'I LOOK TO YOU' AT WHITNEY HOUSTON'S FUNERAL
