Aretha Franklin ‘in hospice care at home’ as family and friends remain by bedside of ‘gravely ill’ star
Aretha Franklin is thought to currently be in hospice care at her Detroit home as family and friends rally around the “gravely ill” superstar.
The Queen of Soul, 76, is understood to be fighting for her life following a lengthy cancer battle but is staying in her Michigan home.
According to CNN’s Don Lemon, sources suggest that the iconic singer is currently receiving hospice care and her family will make all further announcements.
Showbiz 411’s Roger Friedman told CNN: "She has a great family, she's surrounded by love, and the world is sending prayers.
“All further announcements will be made by her family. We just want to send love and prayers.”
A source revealed to TMZ that Franklin had been battling cancer for the last few years, after struggling with a number of health issues since 2010.
The star’s sister-in-law Cendia Franklin has said that her health is “not looking good” but that she had a huge support network around her.
“She's very ill. She has been under the weather for months. A lot of her family is around her, supporting her,” she told Radar.
When asked if the singer could recover, she said: “We just never know.”
On Monday, Freidman said: “Aretha is surrounded by family and people close to her. She will be so missed as a mother, sister, friend, cousin. But her legacy is larger than life.
“It’s not just that Rolling Stone called her the number 1 singer of all time, or that she is the Queen of Soul. Long live the Queen.
Shortly before her birthday in March, Franklin was forced to cancel two upcoming performances when doctor’s ordered her to rest.
Franklin had been due to perform at the New Jersey Performing Arts Centre and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
But in a statement released by her team at the time, it was revealed that an “extremely disappointed” Franklin had been ordered to “rest completely” for two months.
