Aretha blasts Warwic

The Queen of Soul is coming out swinging against fellow legend Dionne Warwick, accusing her of making up a story that she was Whitney Houston’s godmother, even though the alleged offence happened five years ago at Houston’s funeral.

“Sheblatantlyliedonme...fullywell knowing what she was doing,” Aretha Franklin said in an interview.

Franklin called The Associated Press on Tuesday, after sending a lengthy fax the day before, to address what she claimed was a “libellous” statement against her made five years ago at Houston’s funeral. At the time, Warwick told funeral-goers that Franklin was there and introduced her, but then realized she wasn’t in attendance.

“‘Ree’s not here, but she is here,” Warwick said, referring to Franklin by a nickname. “She loves Whitney as if she were born to her. She is her godmother.”

At the time, Franklin said she was suffering from swollen feet and had to skip the funeral so she could perform later that night at Radio City Music Hall in New York, which she said she was contractually obligated to do.