Raffles van Exel’s claims about Whitney Houston have rubbed friends and fans up the wrong way.
Recently Raffles revealed to the media that he was close to Whitney and would take care of Bobby Kristina.
People think that he is a leech and a hanger on and tries to befriend stars for his own gain. It is definitely strange
that Raffles seems to mysteriously pop up when a star is in trouble or in the case of Michael Jackson and Whitney Houston: dies.
It is true that the mysterious Mr X (or Exel) came to America to make it as a star. Many years later nothing has happened.
The closest he ever got was trying to write a song with Jermaine Jackson for a concert they would set up for the victims of 9/11.
He talked about it on Dutch TV, even got Jermaine to confirm this, got Dutch celebrities involved, but nothing happened.
He certainly has his ways in. The interviews he has done for his own news site with Frank DiLeo and Terry Riley seem prove that he is not lying about being an insider. But it is true that many confused celebrities befriend the wrong people near the end of their careers.
Mainly because they feel comfortable with “yes men”.
The question is: if Raffles really is friends with the Jacksons and the Houston / Browns, why would he feel the need to sell stories after
Michael and Whitney died. If he wants to protect Bobbi Kristina, why sell stories about the mother she loved?
Why did he not protect her at the funeral/remembrance? Why did he not make sure Bobby Brown could get a seat on the day?
Why start a story at the Advocate about Whitney planning to record an anti bullying campaign photoshoot and then be unable to give the interview once the magazine calls?
Then there are the claims he manages Chaka Khan – who is managed by her sister Tammy McCrary.
OJ Simpson writing the weird “If I Did It” book was apparently his idea.
He recently posted a tribute to Whitney but could not resist to end with some self promotion: “Raffles van Exel, CEO of Raffles Entertainment, LLC, is a highly respected entertainment consultant having guided some of the world’s most acclaimed executives and celebrities. Founded in 2001, Raffles Entertainment has been a driving force within the entertainment and media industries offering a wide array of consulting and management services.”
He recently became Executive Advisor to Christine Heathman and says he is a highly respected entertainment consultant having guided some of the world’s most acclaimed executives and celebrities: Actor Quinton Aaron from the smash hit The Blind Side with Sandra Bullock, Peter Lamas CEO and founder of peterlamas.com, the late King of Pop Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Patti LaBelle, Lance Bass (Founding member of iconic pop group, N’Sync), Flavor Flav of the iconic rap group Public Enemy and of the “Flavor of Love” fame, George Benson, and the late Ray Charles. Raffles van Exel has produced for The Queen of Salsa – the late and great Celia Cruz, funk pioneer George Clinton, Sisqo, Nick Cannon, Howie Dorough (Founding member of Grammy nominated group, The Backstreet Boys), rap icon and actor Ice-T, and a host of other artists.
One Michael Jackson fan said: “I don’t understand how he knows so many a-list celebs, and yet no one can answer what he does, and who he is.”
And I think we can only agree with her. As Michael once sang: “Who is it?”
Dear Bobbi Kristina: be careful!!
