Dolly Parton’s family has received an apology from CNN. The network made a shocking mistake while reporting on the country music legend’s death, sharing a photo of a lookalike instead of the artist.
Legendary country star Dolly Parton died on August 25 at the age of 80. Her team later revealed she passed away after a brief battle with cancer.
As news of her passing spread around the world, tributes quickly poured in for the beloved singer. Fans, fellow musicians and celebrities around the world have been paying tribute to the country music legend and remembering the woman behind some of the most beloved songs of all time.
But during a live CNN broadcast, viewers were shown a picture that was supposed to be Dolly. There was just one problem: It wasn’t Dolly Parton.
Instead, the network accidentally displayed a photo of Kelly Vohnn, a Las Vegas performer who makes a living as a Dolly Parton impersonator.
CNN issues apology to Dolly Parton’s family after sharing photo of impersonator
The image appeared during Laura Coates Live on the evening of August 25, as CNN reported on Parton’s death. The mistake was quickly noticed, and CNN later issued an apology to the Parton family.
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” a CNN spokesperson said.
Kelly Vohnn later spoke about the terrible mistake CNN made.
She told The New York Post that friends began texting her after seeing her image appear on national television.
“I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it,” she said.
“Somebody at CNN really messed up”
Vohnn had been devastated by Parton’s death herself. She praised the legendary country artist for giving her so much inspiration as both a woman and an artist.
“I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist,” she continued. “But then to see these images of me on screen was just weird.”
Vohnn, a longtime singer and tribute performer who has portrayed Parton throughout her career, blasted the network for the embarrassing mix-up.
“Somebody at CNN really messed up and didn’t do their research,” she said.
Vohn later told Entertainment Weekly that she would “never disrespect Dolly, her family, or her loved ones this way.”
Dolly Parton will never be forgotten. Rest in peace.
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