Whitney Houston’s hologram duet with Christina Aguilera on “The Voice” has been cut. The performance was meant to appear on next week’s season finale, but the late icon’s estate has nixed it.
“We were looking to deliver a groundbreaking duet performance for the fans of both artists,” the Whitney Houston Estate said in a statement. “Holograms are new technology that take time to perfect, and we believe with artists of this iconic caliber, it must be perfect. Whitney’s legacy and her devoted fans deserve perfection. After closely viewing the performance, we decided the hologram was not ready to air. We appreciate Christina, and she was flawless.”
Prior to this announcement, a video of the performance leaked online. In the clip, Aguilera delivers a rendition of “I Have Nothing,” before joining a hologram of Houston to perform “I’m Every Woman.”
Last year, a Houston hologram world tour was announced by Hologram USA’s owner, Alki David.
“I was heartbroken when Whitney passed away in 2012,” David said at the time. “The opportunity to help share her spectacular gifts with the world again is exactly what I hoped for when I built the hologram business. We’ve got technology that’s causing a seismic shift in the entertainment industry, and a wonderful partnership with Pat Houston and the estate—I’m confident we’ll create the ultimate celebration of Whitney’s amazing artistry.”
Houston is not the first artist to get the hologram treatment. There have been several other notable holograms of late legends including Michael Jackson, Eazy-E, and Tupac, whose hologram performed alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre at Coachella in 2012.