Aretha Franklin has reportedly been joined by family members as the beloved Queen of Soul is said to be fighting for her life! Roger Friedman of Showbiz 411 has reported that the legendary diva is “gravely ill in Detroit,” and that Aretha’s “family is asking for privacy.” The tragic development comes just months after The National ENQUIRER reported that insiders feared the worst as Aretha approached a year without performing a full concert. Aretha, 76, had previously hidden a recent battle with cancer, and both insiders and fans of the 18-time Grammy winner were shocked by her drastic weight loss at the end of 2017 — although the “Respect” singer dismissed claims that she’d lost up to 200 pounds as “ludicrous!”
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My weight has been fluctuating due to a side effect,” she said, while refusing to offer details, “and caused me to lose weight I expect to regain shortly.” But the five-foot-five star, whose weight had climbed to 310 pounds at times, alarmed fans with her shocking new look.
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“It does not look like a healthy weight loss,” a fan posted on the internet when she performed at
Elton John’s AIDS Foundation gala in New York City in November.“Her body looks like she’s withering away. Even her chest is gone, and her legs are down to the bone.”
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Wrote another: “She looks sick and malnourished.” Aretha has never confirmed — or denied — an illness. But in 2010, after being diagnosed with diabetes, she reportedly had half her stomach, gallbladder and part of her pancreas removed
to beat deadly pancreatic cancer.
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She lost 85 pounds and bragged to being down to an 18 dress size. By 2016, her weight had ballooned back to 285 pounds. During a June 2017 concert in Milwaukee, she was coughing, “looked clearly sick” and “had to take regular breaks to get through,” a source reported.
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Shortly after, she announced: “
Due to doctors’ orders I will have to cancel a few concerts for the next month or so.” Later in September 2016, Aretha, shown here with
Smokey Robinson, had swollen to 293 pounds, was having trouble breathing and again had to cancel concerts.
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This past August, her weight remained high and the
onetime heavy smoker again had trouble breathing. An insider very close to the singer told The ENQUIRER Aretha “may have had [her] gallbladder removed” and has suffered repeated “flare-ups of pancreatitis,” an inflammation disease.
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“[Aretha] lost a significant amount of weight,” the source confirmed, adding that she “was extremely energetic and in great spirits” at the Elton John gig. “She goes to the doctor constantly,” noted the insider. “She hasn’t been eating this fall and has been drinking supplements to try and gain weight.”
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Photo credit: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Aretha had declared: “
This is it! I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert.” And the news has fans fearing for her life. As one posted on the internet: “Bones protruding. Skin sagging. That’s not weight loss — it’s sickness for sure!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
“
My weight has been fluctuating due to a side effect,” she said, while refusing to offer details, “and caused me to lose weight I expect to regain shortly.” But the five-foot-five star, whose weight had climbed to 310 pounds at times, alarmed fans with her shocking new look.
Photo credit: Getty Images
“It does not look like a healthy weight loss,” a fan posted on the internet when she performed at
Elton John’s AIDS Foundation gala in New York City in November.“Her body looks like she’s withering away. Even her chest is gone, and her legs are down to the bone.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Wrote another: “She looks sick and malnourished.” Aretha has never confirmed — or denied — an illness. But in 2010, after being diagnosed with diabetes, she reportedly had half her stomach, gallbladder and part of her pancreas removed
to beat deadly pancreatic cancer.
Photo credit: Getty Images
She lost 85 pounds and bragged to being down to an 18 dress size. By 2016, her weight had ballooned back to 285 pounds. During a June 2017 concert in Milwaukee, she was coughing, “looked clearly sick” and “had to take regular breaks to get through,” a source reported.
Photo credit: Getty Images
Shortly after, she announced: “
Due to doctors’ orders I will have to cancel a few concerts for the next month or so.” Later in September 2016, Aretha, shown here with
Smokey Robinson, had swollen to 293 pounds, was having trouble breathing and again had to cancel concerts.
Photo credit: Getty Images
This past August, her weight remained high and the
onetime heavy smoker again had trouble breathing. An insider very close to the singer told The ENQUIRER Aretha “may have had [her] gallbladder removed” and has suffered repeated “flare-ups of pancreatitis,” an inflammation disease.
Photo credit: Getty Images
“[Aretha] lost a significant amount of weight,” the source confirmed, adding that she “was extremely energetic and in great spirits” at the Elton John gig. “She goes to the doctor constantly,” noted the insider. “She hasn’t been eating this fall and has been drinking supplements to try and gain weight.”
Photo credit: Getty Images
Meanwhile, Aretha had declared: “
This is it! I will be recording, but this will be my last year in concert.” And the news has fans fearing for her life. As one posted on the internet: “Bones protruding. Skin sagging. That’s not weight loss — it’s sickness for sure!”
Photo credit: Getty Images
