CNN put a Las Vegas impersonator in its Dolly Parton tribute, and has apologised

Of all the tributes you might expect when a true legend passes, having your face mixed up with theirs on live telly probably isn’t on your bingo card. But that’s precisely what went down in the case of Dolly Parton — or rather, Dolly Parton’s impersonator. On Tuesday night, CNN accidentally slipped a photo of Kelly Vohnn, a Las Vegas tribute artist, into their prime-time montage honouring the late music and screen icon. As you’d guess, neither Vohnn nor the Parton camp were particularly thrilled.

Dolly Parton passed away at 80 on 25 August 2026.

The news broke just twelve hours after it was announced that Dolly herself had died. “Laura Coates Live”, CNN’s evening news programme, aired a heartfelt retrospective of Dolly’s career. Only trouble is, nestled amongst the archive shots and concert films was a red carpet photo of Vohnn from a Las Vegas premiere back in December – so not exactly a subtle slipup.

CNN’s Blunder and the Aftermath

CNN, for their part, didn’t waste time issuing a statement. It reads about as dry and corporate as you’d expect, but at least it’s straightforward:

‘We regret the error and apologize to the Parton family.’

Vohnn, meanwhile, found out she’d made it into the broadcast the way most people get any good or mortifying news: a sudden flurry of messages from mates. The impersonator told The Post she was already gutted at losing her idol, and seeing herself pop up in Dolly’s spot made things even stranger. To put it bluntly, she called the mix-up “quite embarrassing”.

Impersonator Reacts

• Vohnn’s photo, snapped in December at the Las Vegas screening of Song Sung Blue (that’s the Kate Hudson and Hugh Jackman flick, if you’re wondering), got picked up for the tribute montage.
• Vohnn has carved out a career as a singer and tribute act — paying homage to Dolly, but also other stars. She made it clear she’s always positioned herself as a tribute artist, never pretending to actually be Parton.
• She told The Post she was mortified by the error and felt especially sorry for Dolly, since CNN had so many “wonderful images and moments” to pick from rather than defaulting to a photo of her in a wig and sequins.
• Vohnn didn’t hold back, saying someone at the network “didn’t do their research”. She had intended to get in touch with CNN directly to give them a piece of her mind, but for now, grief over Dolly’s death had taken precedence over TV feuds.