Aretha Franklin is battling cancer, a family friend has announced to FOX 2 News in Detroit.
According to the report, family and friends close to the Queen of Soul are “very concerned,” but say she is doing “okay.” Family expressed hopes to FOX that fans of Aretha, 68, will send prayers and good thoughts.
In a post at PopCrunch, a National Enquirer story (not available online) is cited saying Franklin’s cancer is pancreatic. The same report notes sources saying Aretha has less than a year to live.
“Though the Enquirer is known for its often-outlandish take on unbiased journalism,” PopCrunch writes, “it should be noted that the publication was the first in the world to report Patrick Swayze and Michael Landon’s battles with pancreatic cancer, a disease that has a less than 10 percent survival rate and ultimately killed both actors. They also blew the lid off Christina Applegate’s breast cancer scare in 2008.”
FOX 2 in Detroit was unable to confirm the specific type of cancer. Franklin underwent a “highly successful” surgery last week, though the cause was not revealed.
“God is still in control,” Aretha’s post-surgery statement read. “I had superb doctors and nurses whom were blessed by all the prayers of the city and the country.”
News of Franklin’s unspecified operation came a month after she announced the cancellation of all concert dates and personal appearances through May on the order of her doctors. That announcement came after Franklin’s brief visit to a Detroit hospital — no details were given about her condition at the time.
It’s been a difficult several months for Franklin; her adult son, Eddie, was beaten by three men at a Detroit gas station in September. A month earlier, she broke ribs in a fall, causing her to miss two free concerts in New York.
Aretha Franklin, born in Memphis and raised in Detroit, is the singer of hits like ‘Respect,’ ‘Chain of Fools,’ and ‘(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.’