Overview
- CNN displayed a photo of Las Vegas tribute performer Kelly Vohnn during a Laura Coates Live montage that ran while the network reported on Dolly Parton’s death Tuesday night.
- The network issued a brief public statement saying, “We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family.”
- Getty Images identified the picture as a photo of Vohnn taken in Las Vegas on Dec. 16, 2025, and Vohnn says she did not provide or authorize the image for CNN’s use.
- Vohnn told reporters she was shocked and embarrassed after friends alerted her that she had appeared on national TV, she posted an explanation on social media, and she has since received increased public and booking attention.
- The mistake illustrates how rushed visual packages can produce sourcing failures that confuse the public, harm those pictured and the bereaved, and could prompt newsrooms to tighten image-verification procedures.