Aretha Franklin.
Photo: Theo Wargo / Staff/2017 Getty Images
A fake Aretha Franklin Twitter account tweeted yesterday that the “Queen of Soul” had died. The tweet went viral, and the hashtag #RipArethaFranklin started trending. However, Franklin is not dead, and responded to the rumors herself.
Last night, the same account tweeted a hasty “Update: NOT DEAD.”
The singer, 75, responded from her home in Michigan, where she lives and is currently alive. Per Us Weekly, “I’m doing well generally, all test have come back good. I’ve lost a lot of weight due to side effects of medicine, it affects your weight … Thanxxxx for your concern.”
There isn’t a more carefree way of addressing rumors of your own death than “thanxxxx.”
