CNN forced to apologise to Dolly Parton’s family for using wrong photo after death
Earlier this week, it was announced that Dolly Parton had passed away aged 80 after a brief battle with an undisclosed form of cancer.
The country music legend died peacefully in Nashville, Tennessee, on Tuesday (25 August), according to a statement from her representative.
A private service for immediate family is expected to take place in the coming days, with fans encouraged to pay tribute to the singer online and through her website.
But amid the tributes, CNN found itself having to issue an apology after accidentally showing a photo of a Dolly Parton impersonator while reporting on the star’s death.
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The network used an image of Las Vegas tribute artist Kelly Vohnn during coverage on Laura Coates Live on Tuesday.
CNN later apologised to Parton’s family in a statement to The New York Post.
"We regret the error and apologise to the Parton family," the network said on Thursday (27 August).
Vohnn said she was stunned when friends began messaging her about the broadcast.
"I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it," Vohnn told The Post. "I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist."
She added: "But then to see these images of me on screen was just weird."
The photo was taken in December 2025, when Vohnn attended a Las Vegas screening of Song Sung Blue.
While she is known for performing as a tribute act, Vohnn made it clear she has never claimed to actually be Parton.
Vohnn said she has 'never represented' herself as being Parton in her life, but that she has 'always been known as a tribute act for her' and other stars.
She admitted she considered contacting CNN, but had other things on her mind.
"I thought about calling CNN, but was really consumed by the grief of losing Dolly [and] I just wanted to be at home with my thoughts, raising a glass of wine to that brilliant woman," she explained.
Parton’s family has asked heartbroken fans to honour her in their own way, with donations to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library requested in lieu of flowers.
Her representative described her as a 'Global icon and humanitarian' and said she would 'forever stand as an inspiration'.
A timeline of Dolly Parton's charity work
The country singer has been fondly remembered for her generosity and how much she gave back to local communities across the United States, as well as contributing to education, welfare and animal rights. Here's a list of everything she did to help others:
The Dollywood Foundation
In 1988, Parton originally launched the organisation in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing secondary school drop out rates. She then launched the Buddy Program, which saw Parton give every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school $500.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood
In 1991, the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee partnered with the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) to open a 30,000-square-foot aviary that sheltered the largest collection of 'non-releasable' bald eagles.
This partnership 'helped introduce millions of Dollywood guests to America’s national symbol and to the importance of protecting bald eagles and other birds of prey', according to the AEF's website.
Imagination Library
In 1995, the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library was founded and inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read. It began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school.
In 2025, it was announced that the Imagination Library gifted more than 40.3 million books, bringing the program’s total books gifted since its launch to more than 304.5 million.
The Dolly Parton Scholarship
According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship - an annual award granting $15,000 (£11,000) each to five secondary school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee - is awarded to those who 'have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realise their dreams'.
My People Fund
After previously working hard to aid wildfire relief in Tennessee in 2016, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 (£733) a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed by the fires.
The fund also donated around $8.9 million (£6.5 million) to those in need.
$1 million donation to a children’s hospital
In 2017, Parton made the staggering donation to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.
She made another $1 million donation to the same hospital in 2022, this time aiming to help pediatric infectious disease research.
Covid-19 vaccine donation efforts
Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Tennessee flooding relief
$700,000 (£510,000) was raised by Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses in 2021 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee.
Dollywood education coverage
In 2022, the Dollywood Co. announced that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.
The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
$1 million donation to the Salvation Army
In late 2023, the singer donated another generous $1 million to the Salvation Army, with the money going towards food and grocery programs in the US.
$2 million donation toward Hurricane Helene relief
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, which affected areas across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Parton donated $1 million from her own funds for the Mountain Way’s Foundation, which provides assistance to flood victims.
Her East Tennessee businesses and the Dollywood Foundation also pledged an additional $1 million.
Topics: Celebrity, Music, US News, TV And Film
Rhiannon Ingle