Gladys Knight Reportedly Reveals Pancreatic Cancer Diagnosis At Aretha Franklin’s Funeral

It’s been two weeks since the tragic death of Aretha Franklin, and now, her friend and fellow performer, Gladys Knight, allegedly revealed at Aretha’s funeral that she has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the same cancer Aretha passed away from.

On Friday, Aug. 31, The Detroit News reported that Gladys said she and Aretha “had the same disease” while attending the late music icon’s funeral. No further details about her diagnosis, treatment or current health status have been revealed by Gladys at this time. 

This comes just days after Gladys opened up about the music sensation’s passing at age 76. While speaking with Us Weekly at the USTA Foundation Opening Night Gala on Monday, Aug. 27 in NYC, she revealed she really misses the star, but she’s glad she’s no longer suffering.

“We all have our days,” Gladys, 74, shared with the news outlet. “I mean, we have absolutely no control over that. The Lord tells us where we are going and tells us when we are coming. So I’m not overly upset about it, and he knows how much each one of us can bear, and he calls us home with those things in mind. That’s the way I feel about it, because he loves us like that.”

She continued, “I miss her, but I didn’t want her to suffer. I really didn’t. And, you know, people could see it. She just kept driving and driving, and she knew it was a disease that would take her out, and she just kept on doing what she does best. So Aretha, safe journey.”

Of course, Gladys isn’t the only well-known face in the music industry that misses Aretha. Shortly after her passing, Stevie Wonder paid tribute to his dear friend. “She did incredible music. She touched every genre. Every singer was influenced in some way by the way she sang and they will forever be influenced by her because of her voice, her emotion. Her sincerity is unforgettable,” the “Isn’t She Lovely” singer shared.

He added, “She was consistently a great human being. She always, even with whatever turmoil that may have been happening in her life, even through her illness, she did not put that on anyone else. She believed she was doing God’s work and she was. She brought joy to a lot of lives.”

Aretha died on Thursday, Aug. 16 from cancer and fans have been paying their respects to the late music sensation ever since. “We have been deeply touched by the incredible outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and fans all around the world,” her family shared at the time. “Thank you for your compassion and prayers. We have felt your love for Aretha and it brings us comfort to know that her legacy will live on.”