Aretha Franklin

DID YOU KNOW THAT ARETHA FRANKLIN HAD HER FIRST BABY AT AGE 12?

Jennifer Hudson and Forest Whitaker started filming Respect in New York – she plays Aretha Franklin and he plays her father, the popular Baptist minister Clarence Franklin. We can’t help but wonder HOW detailed this sordid bio will be. Clarence was known to be highly promiscuous and, in fact, had a baby with a 12 year old member of his congregation – with NO apparent repercussions! Aretha went on to have HER first baby at 12 also, (named Clarence!) supposedly with a school friend – she actually had TWO children with different fathers before she was fifteen! THAT’s just the beginning – this is going to be a startling life story!

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

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By Janet / February 15, 2020

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Aretha Franklin Jennifer Hudson Respect

ARETHA FRANKLIN INSISTED THAT JENNIFER HUDSON PLAY HER IN LIFE STORY

This is an early peek at Jennifer Hudson playing Aretha Franklin in the biographical drama Respect now filming in Harlem. (Actually Aretha herself was involved in getting the movie made up until she died last year.) Jennifer is filming a scene set in the 1960’s with Marlon Wayans, who plays her first husband Ted White, described as “the slickest pimp in Detroit.” Aretha married him when she was only nineteen and he became her manager. Jennifer and Marlon were about to film a scene in a car where her feet don’t show – that’s why she can get away with wearing those Ugg booties…

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

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By Janet / November 3, 2019

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Affairs Aretha Franklin Crush Secret Lover

DID ARETHA FRANKLIN CONCEAL A MASSIVE CRUSH ON JAMES BROWN?

Leave it to The National Enquirer to have a different take on the death of Aretha Franklin. The tabloid insists that Aretha made a deathbed confession about a secret showbiz affair that she carried on for several decades. She wrote about this passionate affair with a well known public figure in her biography, but never revealed his name. She was heartbroken when he refused commitment. According to the Enquirer, the secret lover was James Brown! We love this old undated photo we found of both singers in their heyday looking really hot.

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By Janet / August 29, 2018

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Aretha Franklin Fashion Madonna MTV Video Music Awards

FORGET MADONNA’S MTV SPEECH – WHAT ABOUT THAT CRAZY OUTFIT!!

We’ve heard PLENTY about Madonna’s appearance on the MTV Video Awards – viewers were puzzled by her pointless rambling about an audition early in her career when she sang an Aretha Franklin song and was convinced that it changed the course of her life. (?) Madonna was called out for her lousy Aretha Franklin “tribute” but she insists she was only on the show to present the award for Video of the Year and was encouraged to reminisce about Aretha and it was NOT a tribute. With all this fuss about her speech, Madonna’s crazy Arabic outfit was almost forgotten. WHY she was dressed in a monumentally unflattering big black wool dress with mountains of jewelry and a headband with protrusions is the REAL mystery. Madonna was recently in Marrakech, so maybe she went shopping on a Berber neighborhood. Whatever- she looked absurd.

Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

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By Janet / August 21, 2018

5 Comments

Aretha Franklin

ARETHA FRANKLIN: AIN’T NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING

Aretha Franklin, 72, (minus the fur coat) is looking the best we’ve seen her in years! She’s lost a lot of weight and her legs look great! Aretha has started work on a new d and she’s collaborating with Andre 3000 and Babyface. We’re told the music will have its Donna Summer moments and Barbra Streisand moments. Andre 3000 has been busy working on his Jimi Hendrix movie.

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

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By Janet / March 25, 2014

10 Comments

Aretha Franklin Gastric Bypass Mystery Surgery Weight

ARETHA FRANKLIN’S HEALTH IS STILL A MYSTERY- AND SHE’S NOT TALKING

Secretive celebrity Aretha Franklin admits she’s gained 40 pounds in the past few months but her health is still a giant mystery. Nearly two years ago she had surgery and would never reveal what it was for. (We speculated gastric bypass.) At the time, relatives of her whispered that she had pancreatic cancer. Aretha denied that she had cancer, but STILL would not talk about her surgery. During the months that followed she cancelled concerts and lost at least 85 pounds. We feared the worst. But suddenly she seemed to snap out of her health problems and got back to work, looking healthier than ever. Now people are saying that she may NOT have had cancer, but actually had complications from her gastric surgery from which she has recovered. But she seems to be stretching her stomach again because she has packed on 40 of the pounds she lost. If Aretha DID have nothing worse than gastric surgery, we wish she would admit it so her fans can stop worrying about her. And she might get more job offers too!

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By Janet / July 18, 2012

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Aretha Franklin Health Hoarding

ARETHA FRANKLIN IS BOOKED SOLID

Photo Credit: Pacific Coast News

Our favorite hoarder, Aretha Franklin, looks very together as she enters NBC studios in New York, although she has an injured foot. Her health is still a mystery – she seems to be busier and more visible than EVER, but the Enquirer insists she’s on her last leg and fighting for her life. The Enquirer is rarely wrong about health stories, but let’s hope Aretha is an exception.

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By Janet / July 25, 2011

21 Comments

Aretha Franklin Hoarding

“ARETHA FRANKLIN IS A HOARDER AND NEEDS AN INTERVENTION!”

A source who visited Aretha Franklin’s home says she needs an intervention! Aretha is a hoarder! “She obviously can’t throw ANYTHING out!” we were told. “When you walk in there’s a little path cleared in the hallway that you can barely get through. Stuff is piled everywhere. Fans send her letters and photos and gifts and she can’t part with any of it. Tables are covered with tchotchkes and stacked with letters and magazines and papers and dishes. Every once in awhile you can see a Grammy poking out of the chaos. She even has stuff piled on the stairs and rarely goes up to the second floor.” Our source added “In spite of the clutter, she’s a very sweet and gracious hostess to all visitors. She may be a diva in the studio, but she’s a sweetheart at home.”

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By Janet / July 13, 2011

32 Comments

Aretha Franklin Fashion Oprah

ARETHA FRANKLIN IS STILL GROPING FOR A LOOK

A friend sent this photo of Aretha Franklin appearing on Oprah’s show and we confess we winced. We love Aretha, but just because she lost a ton of weight doesn’t mean she looks good in EVERYTHING! Her stylist should be fired for letting her go onstage in this shapeless white dress that accentuates all the wrong things. Sleeves would be a welcome addition. But her hair and make up look great.

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By Janet / May 22, 2011

25 Comments

Aretha Franklin Halle Berry Jennifer Hudson Queen Latifah

ARETHA FRANKLIN: YES TO JENNIFER HUDSON – NO TO QUEEN LATIFAH

Aretha Franklin has resigned herself to the fact that her first choice to star in her life story- Halle Berry-doesn’t feel she can play the role because she can’t sing. Aretha was a little miffed, but says she prefers someone with “more confidence” anyway. Given choices, Aretha told Wendy Williams she can picture Jennifer Hudson in the part but for some reason, absolutely NOT Queen Latifah, who seems like a logical choice. Nobody argues with Aretha.

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By Janet / March 3, 2011

30 Comments