C.J.: Prince gives Whitney Houston heave-ho from stage

Troubled Whitney Houston was gently escorted off stage and reportedly added to the "banned" list by Prince and/or his people after her antics at the Forum.

According to TMZ.com, Prince's sources are saying that Houston's been banned from the rest of his concerts at the Forum, located in suburban Los Angeles. He's in the middle of a scheduled 21-concert stand.

Being banned from this atmosphere is not an unhelpful move, since Houston is reportedly in rehab again. This time, it's out-patient rehab, which talk show host Wendy Williams said this week is the opposite of what Whitney needs.

Houston declared herself clean in 2009, according to CBSnews.com, after stints in rehab in 2004 and 2005. Houston's voice, which was so clearly a gift, now sounds like a much-ravaged and abused instrument that can never be what it was. Not even with auto-tune, a popular tool of those who cannot sing.

"According to our Prince sources, Whitney attended several Prince concerts in the past few weeks and appeared to be 'intoxicated' at each show, though our sources never saw Whitney drink alcohol or take drugs," states TMZ.com. "We're told Whitney was constantly badgering Prince's staff to let her up on the stage. But team Prince shot her down multiple times because [Symbolina's] people 'don't want her to embarrass herself.'"

The TV show version of this TMZ report aired video of Whitney and her daughter Bobbi Kristina bouncing around and dancing breast-to-breast. Houston also appeared to be having more success remembering the lyrics to Prince songs than she's had when performing her own music recently. At one point, Houston can be seen with out-stretched arms gesturing to be pulled up onto the elevated stage, shaped like a glyph.

There was no video showing how Houston finally got onstage, but there she was singing away as it took Prince a minute to make his way over to her. Prince's grand gesture could be interpreted two ways, as he's not audible:

No. 1) Ladies and gentleman, look at her. Put your hands together for Whitney Houston!

No. 2) Ladies, gentlemen and SORRY MEMBERS OF SECURITY, Whitney Houston is on my darn stage. Come remove her arse, right now!

Which one was it, Symbolina?

He'll probably never tell. But he was being a lot more generous to Houston than some of the women characters in his movies. Wasn't there a scene of a female character being deposited in a Dumpster?

Add Houston to the list of well-knowns dispatched from a stage where Prince was performing.

In February at Madison Square Garden, Kim Kardashian was kicked off-stage after she refused to shake her ample behind or do the bump with him.

"Get off the stage," he said.

On a recent episode of "The Wendy Williams Show," Kardashian said that if Prince had seen Kim on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" he would have known she can't dance. She also was unnerved by being in close proximity to His Purpleness.

At least Kardashian hasn't been banned from Prince concerts.

Poor Whitney. Watching her now is like observing the final act in a life that will not end well.

C.J. is at 612.332.TIPS or cj@startribune.com. E-mailers, please state a subject -- "Hello" doesn't count. Attachments are not opened, so don't even try. More of her attitude can be seen on FOX 9 Thursday mornings.