Aretha Franklin May Settle Tabloid Suit

[TexasStooge]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Nobody's saying whether R-E-S-P-E-C-T is on the table, but Aretha Franklin and the Star are sitting down to discuss settlement of the soul superstar's lawsuit against the supermarket tabloid.

Last year, Franklin sued the Star and its parent company, American Media Inc., over an article that alleged she had a drinking problem.

Barry Langberg, Franklin's Los Angeles lawyer, has said everything in the article published in March 2000 was false.

Franklin — best known for such hits as "Respect," "Natural Woman," "Chain of Fools" and "Think" — and the lawyers for both sides left court late Friday afternoon with no word of the progress toward settlement. Langberg's office said he would not be available for immediate comment because he had to catch a plane back to Los Angeles after the hearing.

Langberg has said he could reasonably have sued the Star in any state because it is sold nationwide. He has not specified why he chose New Mexico as the venue for the lawsuit.