CNN Apologizes to Dolly Parton’s Family After Making a Mistake at the Worst Possible Time

Millions of viewers tuned in to mourn a legend. Instead, for a few seconds, they saw someone else entirely. As CNN covered the death of Dolly Parton on August 25, a photo flashed across the screen that had nothing to do with the country icon, and everything to do with a case of mistaken identity nobody at the network caught in time.

The Photo Showed A Las Vegas Impersonator, Not Dolly Herself

During the 11 p.m. hour of Laura Coates Live, as correspondent Shimon Prokupecz reported live from Nashville, a montage of five archival Parton photos aired alongside one image that didn’t belong. That sixth photo showed Kelly Vohnn, a Las Vegas performer who has spent years portraying Parton on stage, according to Variety’s reporting.

The Getty Image Was Nearly A Year Old When It Aired

The photo used in the broadcast was taken December 16, 2025, at a Palms Casino Resort screening of the film “Song Sung Blue” in Las Vegas, where Vohnn was one of several celebrity tribute performers in attendance that night. Getty’s own caption identified her by name as a Dolly Parton tribute artist, not the singer herself.

CNN Kept Its Response Short: “We Regret The Error”

A network spokesperson addressed the mistake in a brief statement. “We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family,” the spokesperson said. CNN did not publicly detail how the mix-up made it past editorial review or name the employee responsible, though Variety reported the error traced back to a single staffer who pulled the wrong file image.

Vohnn Found Out From A Flood Of Texts, Not From CNN

Vohnn said she had no warning before her phone started buzzing. “I started getting all these texts in from friends saying that I was on CNN, and I couldn’t believe it,” she said. She was already grieving Parton’s death privately when she learned her own image had been mistaken for the woman she’d spent years honoring on stage.

“I Was Already Heartbroken,” Vohnn Said Of Seeing Her Face On Air

For Vohnn, the moment carried an extra sting. “I was already heartbroken at losing Dolly because of how much she has given to me as a woman and an artist,” she said, “but then to see these images of me on screen was just weird.” The mix-up landed in the middle of what should have been a moment of pure tribute.

Vohnn Didn’t Hold Back Criticizing The Network’s Vetting

Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter, Vohnn was blunt about where she thought CNN went wrong. “Somebody at CNN really messed up and didn’t do their research,” she said, adding she felt sorry on Parton’s behalf given how many appropriate photos existed to choose from instead.

She Says She Never Authorized Anyone To Use Her Image This Way

In a video posted to Instagram, Vohnn made clear the confusion wasn’t something she invited. She said she never gave permission for her likeness to be used to make people believe she was Parton, and noted the mix-up wasn’t the first time her tribute work had been mistaken for the real singer in media coverage.

The Screening Where The Photo Was Taken Had Impersonators Of Several Icons

The Getty event that produced the misused photo wasn’t just about Parton lookalikes. Other attendees photographed that night included performers impersonating Neil Diamond, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, and Frank Sinatra, part of a broader lineup of tribute artists gathered for the “Song Sung Blue” premiere months before Parton’s death.

Vohnn Says She Just Wants Networks To Get It Right Going Forward

Vohnn later said she was relieved CNN acknowledged the mistake at all, telling one outlet she hoped it wouldn’t happen again given how much Parton meant to so many people. For a legend whose career spanned seven decades, the error was a small footnote, but one that briefly overshadowed the tributes it was meant to honor.