December 14, 2000 – Aretha Franklin made the following statement today: "I was appalled and shocked to hear last week that there was a totally trashy and grossly untrue article using my name and likeness in a weekly sleaze supermarket paper that had no bearing whatsoever on who I am and what the truth is, seemingly, because I cancelled one or two appearances out of fifty or more this year for legitimate reasons."

Ms. Franklin continued, "I realize this magazine, as most intelligent Americans do, writes sleaze for big G's ($) about innocent celebrities and hi-profile people with reckless regard for the truth and no proof of such things; based on hearsay and their personal resentments; and on the old lame b..s.. of "sources close to." Hopefully, "sources close to" have advised them that I am filing a $50 million dollar lawsuit for defamation of character, gross inaccuracies and lies and the writer's cheap, low class, viscous and reckless attempt at journalism at my expense."