Aretha Franklin Says She Is 'Feeling Great'

Aretha Franklin may not be forthcoming about her recent health issues, but she has assured fans that she is doing well.

In an interview with Jet magazine, the legendary songstress, who is reportedly battling cancer and underwent surgery in December, declined to disclose her specific ailment but maintained that her health drama has subsided.

"I am not going to even deal with that," she said in response to reports that she is battling cancer. "I don't have to talk about my health with anybody other than my doctors. The problem has been resolved."

The "Respect" singer explained that her unwillingness to reveal her mystery illness stems from a preference to preserve her privacy.

"I am not one to do a lot of talking about my personal health or business. Not too much, not too much," she said. "There are a lot of people who will talk about anything, as long as there is somebody listening. But I am not one of those people. That's not Aretha."

While she chooses to remain protective of her health issues, the Queen of Soul did reveal how she discovered something was wrong, recalling "a very hard pain in my side" during a performance in Toronto last year that led her to check in with her doctor.

"I had a colonoscopy and it showed nothing was wrong. I associated the pain in my side with the colonoscopy that I had within a day or two before. I got up at 2 o'clock in the morning and called the doctor who did the colonoscopy and told him what was happening. He said, 'Miss Franklin, whatever it is, it is not from the colonoscopy. You need to come home and have a CAT-scan.' Thank God he said that, because that unfolded everything, what the problem was and everything," she said.

Franklin also explained that she decided to open up about her experience and her current condition so fans won't fret about the soul diva. "I know my fans are concerned," she said. "Let them know I am feeling great and coming along."

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