Aug. 27, 2026Up to date Aug. 28, 2026, 7:12 p.m. ET
CNN has apologized for mistakenly airing a photograph of a Dolly Parton impersonator whereas overlaying the dying of the “Queen of Nation.”
In the course of the 11 p.m. ET hour of the Aug. 25 night broadcast of “Laura Coates Dwell,” a photograph meant to indicate Parton, who died the identical day at age 80, was really of Las Vegas entertainer Kelly Vohnn.
The picture that aired throughout the section was taken by Getty Pictures on Dec. 16, 2025, when the tribute artist attended a particular screening of the “Track Sung Blue” film on the Palms On line casino Resort in Las Vegas.
“We remorse the error and apologize to the Parton household,” CNN stated in an announcement shared with Selection and the New York Submit.
Vohnn shared her ideas on the blunder in an announcement to USA TODAY, saying “I believe Dolly would have giggled.”
“It’s good that they acknowledged the error and apologized to Dolly’s household,” Vohnn wrote. “Personally, I took it as a praise that they mistakenly used my picture of me as Dolly. I acquired a giggle out of it myself. Now we will all proceed to honor her extraordinary life, spirit & abilities.”
She additionally addressed the mix-up in an interview with the New York Submit, the place she stated “I began getting all these texts in from mates saying that I used to be on CNN, and I couldn’t imagine it.”
“I used to be already heartbroken at dropping Dolly due to how a lot she has given to me as a girl and an artist. However then to see these pictures of me on display was simply bizarre,” she advised the outlet.
Kelly Vohnn mourns ‘an inspiration, a mentor’ and ‘a queen’
As tributes to Parton proceed to pour in from a number of the greatest names in music and past, Vohnn shared her personal recollections of the nation icon.
Vohnn, who has carried out as Parton throughout her 30-year profession in Las Vegas, mirrored on the “9 to five” singer’s affect in an interview with native station KSNV.
“Dolly Parton was large inspiration in lots of areas, as a girl, as an ageing lady. as a musician, as a performer, entertainer, author, she proved that you may do all of it,” Vohnn stated. “To me, she’s essentially the most extraordinary human in my lifetime.”
Within the caption of an Aug. 26 Instagram publish, she stated that “Dolly was additionally an entrepreneur, an inspiration, a mentor, a prepare dinner, a fashionista and a queen! I placed on a smiley face after which generally I break down. The world will miss this fabulous lady! I Will All the time Love You!”
Parton died following a short battle with most cancers, her representatives confirmed to USA TODAY on Aug. 25, although they didn’t specify what sort of most cancers. Whereas her analysis was not publicly revealed, she had beforehand opened up about well being struggles since 2025.
