Aretha Franklin’s Former Fiance Dies From Coronavirus [Condolences]

Aretha Franklin, Willie Wilkerson (circa 2007)

Aretha Franklin’s Former Fiance Dies From Coronavirus [Condolences]

Very sad news. Aretha Franklin’s former fiance, Willie Wilkerson, has reportedly died.  He sadly passed Wednesday (April 7th) of COVID-19 virus. Reportedly, he was admitted to the hospital on March 30th.

Willie Wilkerson and Aretha Franklin met in the late 1980s . They dated and got engaged in 2012 and reportedly had an off-and-on romance.

Ultimately, they called off their engagement.

(Photo by Frank Micelotta/PictureGroup)

In addition to them being a romantic relationship, he was also her escort and road manager. He was said to have still been close friends with Aretha up until her death in 2018.

He is reportedly survived by a son, 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

We send our condolences to his family and friends.