A week after undergoing surgery for a mystery illness, the National Enquirer reports that singer Aretha Franklin has incurable pancreatic cancer.

The surgery, labeled a success, came under mysterious circumstances. This is the first time this illness has been reported. In November, she canceled all concerts through May 2011 due to “medical reasons.”

The Enquirer’s report lists pancreatic survival rates at 5-10%, and even lower for someone of Franklin’s age and weight.

Source

PETA president Ingrid Newkirk has offered to pay off Aretha Franklin’s $19,000 tax bill if she agrees to stop wearing fur.

Sources say that Ingrid wrote Aretha a letter:

“We would like to help you out by paying the approximately $19,000 in back taxes that you owe – if you’ll agree to save animals from hideous suffering and death by promising never to wear fur again and donating your old furs to PETA. We are absolutely sincere in making this offer – we believe that you know in your heart that your fans will love you even more if you make a fur-free resolution. As you no doubt now realize, animals who are trapped in the wild can suffer for days before dying from exposure, frostbite, shock, or infection or by being strangled, stomped, or bludgeoned to death by trappers.”

The PETA president concludes by writing, “Our offer is a win-win situation: You get to keep your home, and animals get to keep their lives. We are rooting for you to please give animals the R-E-S-P-E-C-T that they deserve by giving up fur.”

How clever with the “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” comments, eh? I wonder if Aretha will bite.

WENN