Aretha Franklin: ‘She is gravely ill’

At press time, singer Aretha Franklin—who has previously struggled with her health—is extremely sick and her death is “imminent,” a source close to the star told WHO. “She has been ill for a long time. She did not want people to know and she didn’t make it public.” Although details as to the severity or the cause of the 76-year-old singer’s illness are yet to be published, a close friend of Franklin’s, Evrod Cassimy, took to Twitter on Aug.13 to share what he knew. “I spoke with her family members this morning. She is asking for your prayers at this time. I’ll have more details as I’m allowed to release.” Those in the singer’s circle were told two weeks ago that “she could go any time” and that her weight was down to 38 kg. Despite her failing health in recent years, Franklin returned to the stage last August for her final public performance at the Mann Center in Philadelphia, where changes in her appearance and her dramatic weight loss caused concern for fans about the Queen of Soul’s wellbeing.