Aretha Franklin the disappearing diva looks slimmer than ever at basketball game

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 15:15 EST, 24 March 2011

She lost a staggering 85lbs after undergoing an undisclosed surgical procedure late last year, and Aretha Franklin is continuing her incredible disappearing act.

The Queen of Soul looked slimmer than ever as she watched the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Dressed smartly in a navy trouser suit with a white T-shirt and pearl necklaces, the 68-year-old looked radiant and healthy as she enjoyed basketball game between from a court level seat.

Slim and healthy: A radiant looking Aretha Franklin attended the New York Knicks game last night at Madison Square Gardens

Slim and healthy: A radiant looking Aretha Franklin attended the New York Knicks game last night at Madison Square Gardens

Back to health: The singer appeared to be enjoying herself as she sat at court level for the game

Back to health: The singer appeared to be enjoying herself as she sat at court level for the game

It was actually one of the first times Aretha has been seen wearing anything other than a floor length dress in years.

Having lost a considerable amount of weight the star is now branching out with her wardrobe choices.

The singer's dramatic weight loss sparked rumours that she had undergone gastric bypass or lap band surgery.

'Definitely not – and would not,' Aretha told Access Hollywood during a two-part interview which will aired last month in the U.S.

'I heard that [rumor]. I said, 'That is crazy.'

'But it definitely was not the bariatric or, what is it, gastric by-  Yeah, I can't even tell you the correct name of it,' she says, hesitating.

The singer is currently preparing for her comeback concert which has been booked for May 19 at the Chicago Theatre to coincide with the release of her new studio album Aretha: A Woman Falling Out of Love.

Before: The singer tipped the scales at an estimated 300 lbs and was always seen in a long dress, never trousers

Before: The singer tipped the scales at an estimated 300 lbs and was always seen in a long dress, never trousers


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