Aretha Franklin is seen here performing her final concert as part of a New York City benefit for the Elton John AIDS Foundation on November 7, 2017 — with the legendary diva struggling to come through for her fans one last time while battling pancreatic cancer. At the time, the famously outspoken Queen of Soul was still denying that her weight loss was linked to a “medical condition,” despite insiders having already told The National ENQUIRER that they feared the singer was battling the terminal illness that took her life on August 16, 2018. The brave star simply insisted that her “weight has been fluctuating due to a side effect” of medications, even as Aretha announced that she was giving up the road to retire in Detroit.
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Aretha had never confirmed or denied an illness — but in 2010, after smashing the scales at more than 300 pounds and being diagnosed with diabetes, she reportedly had half her stomach, gallbladder and part of her pancreas removed to beat deadly pancreatic cancer. She lost 85 pounds and bragged to being down to an 18 dress size.
Photo credit: Getty Images
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By 2016, her weight had gone back to 285 pounds. During a June concert in Milwaukee, a source reported Aretha was coughing, “looked clearly sick” and “had to take regular breaks to get through.” Shortly after, she announced: “Due to doctors’ orders I will have to cancel a few concerts for the next month or so.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
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Photo credit: Getty Images
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An insider close to the singer told The ENQUIRER in Dec. 2017 that Aretha had suffered repeated “flare-ups of pancreatitis.” But, the source added, Aretha “was extremely energetic and in great spirits” at the Elton John benefit. “I will be recording,” she also assured fans, “but this will be my last year in concert. This is it!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Aretha had never confirmed or denied an illness — but in 2010, after smashing the scales at more than 300 pounds and being diagnosed with diabetes, she reportedly had half her stomach, gallbladder and part of her pancreas removed to beat deadly pancreatic cancer. She lost 85 pounds and bragged to being down to an 18 dress size.
Photo credit: Getty Images
By 2016, her weight had gone back to 285 pounds. During a June concert in Milwaukee, a source reported Aretha was coughing, “looked clearly sick” and “had to take regular breaks to get through.” Shortly after, she announced: “Due to doctors’ orders I will have to cancel a few concerts for the next month or so.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images
An insider close to the singer told The ENQUIRER in Dec. 2017 that Aretha had suffered repeated “flare-ups of pancreatitis.” But, the source added, Aretha “was extremely energetic and in great spirits” at the Elton John benefit. “I will be recording,” she also assured fans, “but this will be my last year in concert. This is it!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
