Sad news for fans of soul and R&B: Legendary singer and songwriter Aretha Franklin has been hospitalized, and according to Showbiz 411, she is “gravely ill.”
News broke of Franklin’s hospitalization on Sunday. While Franklin has battled numerous health problems over the year, additional information about her current state is unclear.
More: Aretha Franklin Turns 70: Celebrate with Her Greatest Hits!
Of course, this isn’t the first time rumors about Franklin’s health have swirled. In 2017, a very real-looking Twitter account — complete with the handle @ArethaFranklin — tweeted news about the Queen of Soul’s death, and in 2010, it was reported that Franklin had been diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer, though the singer denies these claims to this day.
“I don’t know where ‘pancreatic cancer’ came from,” Franklin told Access Hollywood. “I was sitting there reading the newspaper and it was saying someone in my family said that. No one in my family ever said that to anybody.”
Franklin — who rose to stardom in the ’70s and ’80s — may be best known for “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “I Knew You Were Waiting (for Me)” and “Respect”; however, over the course of her lifetime, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer won 18 Grammy Awards, a lifetime achievement award and a Grammy Legend Award. She was also inducted into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame, the GMA Gospel Music Hall of Fame and, on Nov. 2, 2005, Franklin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
What’s more: Franklin has sold more than 75 million records.
That said, in 2017, Franklin announced she would be retiring not from singing but from full-on touring and public appearances. Her last performance was in New York on Nov. 2, 2017, for the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Numerous celebrities have been offering their thoughts, well wishes and support.
My prayers are with Aretha Franklin & her family during this difficult time 🙏🏾 LOOK BELOW @ what I tweeted at the top of the year we MUST CELEBRATE the Living Legends while they are here to see it. So many have given us decades of Timeless music…❤️ https://t.co/VVacLxcMSI
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) August 13, 2018
Praying for the Queen of Soul 🙏🙏 #ArethaFranklinpic.twitter.com/5cfNPrQrq3
— Mariah Carey (@MariahCarey) August 13, 2018
Praying for Aretha Franklin and her family right now! ❤️🙏🏽
— Ciara (@ciara) August 13, 2018
R E S P E C T #ArethaFranklinpic.twitter.com/8w37Wxzmao
— Morgan J. Freeman (@mjfree) August 13, 2018
Praying for @ArethaFranklin One of the greatest vocalists of our time. We all ❤️you.
— Carnie Wilson (@CarnieWilson) August 13, 2018
More: Aretha Franklin Gives Health Update Amid Death Rumors
According to Showbiz 411, Franklin is currently surrounded by family and friends, and at this time, they are asking for both prayers and privacy.
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