Where Did the "Show Me the Receipts" Meme Come From?

But as much as this saying is a part of our collective daily lives these days, most people have probably totally forgotten that this whole pop culture phenomenon actually has its roots in a very serious journalistic endeavor—and the saying itself isn't even 100% correct.

It all started with Diane Sawyer. The newscaster sat down with the late pop star at her Atlanta home way back in 2002 for a tell-all interview tied to her upcoming album Just Whitney. Much of the interview focused on her tragic addictions, to which Houston raised the question about a headline that claimed Whitney had spent an exorbitant amount of money on drugs. 

"This says $730,00 drug habit," questioned Sawyer. "This is a headline."

To which Whitney gave an answer that would become the stuff of legends. "No way, no way," she began. "I wanna see the receipts. From the drug dealer that I bought $730,000 worth of drugs from. I wanna see the receipts."

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