Dolly Parton performing on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' in 2016. Andrew Lipovsky/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty Images CNN has apologized to Dolly Parton‘s family and to a Las Vegas tribute artist after mistakenly airing a photo of the impersonator during coverage of the country icon’s death this week.
The mix-up came amid the network’s round-the-clock coverage following Parton’s death from a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday. Amid dozens of images spanning her decades-long career, an image of tribute artist Kelly Vohnn was worked into a montage on Laura Coates Live, roughly 12 hours after her death was announced.
The New York Post first reported the error, noting that CNN issued a brief statement Thursday: “We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family.”
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The photo, according to Vohnn, was taken at a red carpet screening of the Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson film Song Sung Blue in Las Vegas in December. The tribute artist, 58, spoke with The Post at length about the incident.
“I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it,” Vohnn told the paper. “I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist. But then to see these images of me on screen was just weird.”
Vohnn didn’t hold back in assessing the error. “Somebody at CNN really messed up and didn’t do their research,” she said. “I felt so sorry and apologetic for Dolly, because over her career there are so many wonderful images and moments that they could have chosen from — and CNN just picked something not appropriate.”
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She was also eager to clarify that she has never presented herself as Parton in a statement and video posted to Instagram on Thursday.
“I want everyone at @dollyfoundationdonation to know that I did not give anyone my likeness to be used in anyway to fool people into thinking I am the real Dolly Parton. This has happened a couple of times now and it’s not ok. I don’t own these images. These photos were taken during a red carpet event in Las Vegas for the opening of the movie Song Sung Blue where multiple impersonators attended. My goal is to carry on her giving, loving legacy in the world,” she wrote, adding, “We need reporters to do better due diligence when broadcasting to prevent fake news.”
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