Aretha Franklin Gravely Ill from Cancer

 

Aretha Franklin — who has previously struggled with her health — is very sick and her death is “imminent,” PEOPLE confirms.

“She has been ill for a long time,” a longtime friend tells PEOPLE. “She did not want people to know and she didn’t make it public.”

A source close to the singer spoke to the Associated Press on Monday to confirm that Franklin is “seriously ill,” although they did not provide any additional details as to the severity or the cause of the 76-year-old singer’s illness.

Showbiz 411 reporter Roger Friedman was first to report the singer is “gravely ill,” sharing that Franklin’s family are “asking for prayers and privacy.”