CNN has apologized to Dolly Parton’s family after airing a photo of Las Vegas tribute artist Kelly Vohnn instead of the country star during a report on Parton’s death.
The error occurred Tuesday night on “Laura Coates Live” in the 11 p.m. ET hour. A Getty Images photo of Vohnn, taken Dec. 16, 2025, at a Las Vegas screening of “Song Sung Blue,” appeared in a montage that also included five images of Parton herself.
“We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” CNN said in a statement to Variety.
Vohnn told the New York Post she learned of the mix-up from friends’ texts. “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.”
Parton died Tuesday, Aug. 25, at age 80 after a brief battle with cancer, her representatives said.
Over seven decades she wrote and recorded hundreds of songs, including “I Will Always Love You,” “9 to 5,” “Jolene,” “Coat of Many Colors” and “Here You Come Again.”
A secret song she recorded remains sealed in a time capsule at Dollywood, scheduled to be opened in 2045.