CNN has apologized to Dolly Parton’s family after the network mistakenly aired an image of a Las Vegas-area impersonator instead of the country music icon during a Tuesday night broadcast.
The on-air error happened about seven minutes into Laura Coates Live, approximately 12 hours after Parton’s family announced her death.
As Coates and CNN senior correspondent Shimon Prokupecz paid tribute to the late singer, viewers saw a rotating series of images meant to celebrate her life and career.
Coates introduced the segment by saying, “I want to get straight to [Shimon], who is out in Nashville where fans are paying their respects to the queen of country.”
The broadcast then displayed five photos of Parton while Prokupecz reflected on her extraordinary legacy in country music.
But the sixth image was not Parton. Instead, it showed Kelly Vohnn, a well-known Dolly Parton tribute artist.
CNN confirmed the mistake in a statement sent to Our News Outlet on Thursday.
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” a network spokesperson said.
CNN showed Laura Coates Live viewers a snap of Las Vegas Dolly Parton impersonator Kelly Vohnn rather than the country music legend herself on Tuesday night. The segment aired a half day after Parton’s relatives confirmed she had passed following a battle with cancer
The actual Parton is pictured at an event in her hometown of Nashville last year. CNN has since apologized, doing so in a statement
Vohnn, meanwhile, told The New York Post on Thursday: ‘Somebody at CNN really messed up and didn’t do their research.’
‘I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it,’ Vohnn added.
‘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,’ she said.
The photo in question was taken on December 16 at a movie screening in Vegas, according to Getty Images, the photo agency that published the photo.
Vohnn, meanwhile, spoke to Vegas Fox affiliate KVVU-TV for a report on Parton just hours before her surprise CNN cameo.
‘We just lost a really, really, really amazing human, one of the most amazing humans on the planet,’ Vohnn told the station.
The 58-year-old has been playing the part of Parton, and other stars such as Reba McEntire, for more than 26 years.
The image of the Vegas vocalist was shown during series of slides during a report from Senior Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz from Nashville. The others actually showed Parton
The Vegas vocalist told the Las Vegas Review-Journal after the error went viral: ‘I couldn’t believe it. I just didn’t want the family to think I am trying to fool anyone.’
She added: ‘Whenever someone comes to see my show I make sure they know I’m an impersonator. I make it clear in the marketing of all my shows that it’s me, performing as Dolly.’
She wrote to The Dollywood Foundation on Instagram: ‘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.’
She added: ‘We need reporters to do better due diligence when broadcasting to prevent #fakenews.’
Other characters Vohnn has played over the years include Faith Hill, Shania Twain and Patsy Cline.
The Review-Journal reported that she began to cry while sharing her thoughts about whether she will ever don her Parton persona ever again.
‘She represented hope in this chaotic world,’ an emotional Vohnn reportedly said, vowing to keep ‘carrying the torch and sending love to her fans.’
Vohnn – a Las Vegas local who has played Parton and other stars for more than 20 years – took to Instagram to chide CNN for peddling ‘fake news’ on Thursday afternoon
CNN host Audie Cornish recently offered viewers an on-air apology for quoting a fake congressman’s social media post while discussing the health of Republican Senator Mitch McConnell during a July edition of CNN This Morning.
In March, NewsNight’s Abby Phillip offered one of her own after erroneously telling viewers that the suspected ISIS-inspired attack near New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home over the weekend targeted him specifically.
In reality, suspects Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, hurled explosives at far-right protesters gathered to protest Mamdani.
