CNN Forced to Apologize After Embarrassing Dolly Parton Mistake

About 12 hours after Dolly Parton died Tuesday, CNN’s Laura Coates Live aired a photo of Las Vegas tribute artist Kelly Vohnn instead of Parton.

CNN told the New York Post it corrected the error. A spokesperson said: “We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family.”

Vohnn, 58, has long performed as a Parton tribute act. The photo CNN used was taken in December at a Las Vegas screening of Song Sung Blue.

CNN forced to apologize to Dolly Parton's family for using photo of Vegas impersonator in covering icon's death https://t.co/L6M20jULjY pic.twitter.com/QwYd0ulhCC

— New York Post (@nypost) August 27, 2026

Friends texted her that she was on CNN. “I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“Somebody at CNN really messed up and didn’t do their research.”

“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.”

She stressed she has never claimed to be Parton: “I have always been known as a tribute act for her and many other stars. It was quite embarrassing, to be honest.”

She thought about calling the network, then stayed home. She called Parton “an inspiration” and “a real force in my life.”

The network’s on-air image was the wrong woman. The statement to the family followed.