CNN Apologizes for Mistakenly Airing Impersonator Photo During Dolly Parton Coverage

CNN has issued an apology after mistakenly airing a photo of a Dolly Parton impersonator during news coverage of the iconic singer’s recent passing. Dolly Parton, a beloved figure in the world of country music, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 80 due to a brief fight with cancer. Her death has been met with an outpouring of tributes from fans across the globe.

During Tuesday’s segment of ‘Laura Coates Live,’ CNN correspondent Shimon Prokupecz provided live coverage from Nashville, accompanied by a series of images shown onscreen. Among these images, CNN inadvertently included a photo of Kelly Vohnn, a Dolly Parton tribute artist. The photo was taken during Vohnn’s attendance at a screening of the film ‘Song Sung Blue’ last year, which features a Neil Diamond tribute band.

A representative from CNN addressed the mistake, stating, “We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family.” This acknowledgment came in response to the accidental use of the impersonator’s photo during a sensitive broadcast.

Kelly Vohnn, the impersonator involved, shared her reaction with the New York Post, describing how her phone was inundated with messages from friends who noticed her image on CNN. Vohnn expressed that the incident was “weird” and voiced her sympathy for the Parton family. She remarked, “I felt so sorry and apologetic for Dolly … and CNN just picked something not appropriate.” Vohnn found the situation embarrassing and addressed the error publically.

Joseph A. Wulfsohn, a media journalist for Fox News Digital, reported the story. He can be contacted for story tips at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at @JosephWulfsohn.