Aretha Franklin engaged to longtime friend
Posted January 3, 2012 7:14 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Aretha Franklin became engaged to longtime friend William “Wilkie” Wilkerson over the holidays.
“No, I’m not pregnant,” the 69-year-old singer joked.
In a statement, Franklin said they are considering a summer wedding.
It has been a tumultuous year for the Queen of Soul. She suffered serious health problems in 2010, never publicly revealing what exactly the ailment was. Franklin reappeared in public in 2011 85 pounds slimmer, prompting speculation the Grammy-winner had undergone gastric-bypass surgery. She denied those claims.
Franklin has been married twice before and has four children.
According to reports, Wilkerson, a former firefighter, and Franklin have known each other for nearly 30 years. They met while Franklin was signing autographs in Detroit.
