The Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin has finally addressed the speculations going round on why she missed the funeral of late music icon Whitney Houston. And it looks like she’s not very happy about the rumors spreading that she was “banned” from going to the funeral due to a dispute with Cissy Houston, even after Aretha Franklin had explained why she was not able to come at Houston’s last rites.

The 69-year-old Aretha Franklin issued a statement saying, “Extra TV, the New York Post and Newsday (New York) should stop the BS. Cissy Houston and I have been longtime friends for almost 50 years.”

“I have four invitations and parking passes that were sent to me for the funeral. Extra TV, the New York Post and Newsday (New York) are more interested in sensationalism and negative speculations than the truth. People are getting their information from the wrong source, “ Aretha Franklin continued. “The intelligent and the thoughtful thing to do would be to respect and have some sensitivity to the moment.  If you don’t know how, at least try.”

The soul singer Aretha Franklin added, “Cissy Houston does not need ridiculous speculation and neither do I—particularly at this time. Also, with respect to the Today Show, my entire statement was pretaped.  However, the Today Show did not air the part of my statement, which said, ‘This is no reflection on Cissy Houston or Nippy’s upbringing.’ Knowing Cissy Houston as well as I do, I know Whitney left home right and properly. I was generalizing and it was a well intended statement for any young adult coming into the music industry. I was not speaking of anyone specifically.”

Aretha Franklin released a statement Saturday clarifying her reason for not going and giving her condolences. “Unfortunately I had terrible leg spasms and locked leg muscles until 4:00 a.m. this morning following my concert last night, which I’ve been having for the last few days. I feel it necessary and very important to stay off my leg today as much as possible until concert time this evening. My heart goes out to my dear friend Cissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Bobbi Kristina Brown and the rest of the family. May God keep them all,” Aretha Franklin said.

Whitney Houston passed way on February 11 in Beverly Hills, the same night when the Grammy Awards was about to take place. The 48-year-old singer was found unresponsive in a bathtub at the Beverly Hilton, submerged in the water.  The cause of death has not officially been released, pending results of toxicology and other tests.

There have been reports lately that say the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin was apparently banned from attending the funeral of late musical icon Whitney Houston last Saturday due to the comments Franklin said in an interview on the “Today Show.”

An original report from the ‘New York Daily News’ says that Franklin “angered” Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston, with Aretha Franklin’s candid comments about the late singer during an interview on the “Today Show.”

“Parents have to really talk to their children before they leave home. They have to make sure when they leave home, they have all the right things. She left home with all the right things, but she just kind of lost her way along the way,” Aretha Franklin told host Al Roker.

The story from ‘New York Daily News’ suggests it was this “veiled criticism” of the “I Will Always Love You” singer’s upbringing that led Aretha Franklin to be banned from the funeral mass of Whitney Houston. They are backing up the story with the fact that Franklin played a sold-out concert in Radio City Music Hall on Saturday night as evidence that there could be something to the “ban” explanation. However, Aretha Franklin denied the allegations and released a statement regarding her absence from the funeral of Whitney Houston, saying that she wanted to “stay off [her] leg” (for medical reasons) as much as possible before her concert that night. And it warrants mention that during the funeral, co-singer Dionne Warwick called for Franklin, who was still on the scheduled speakers list, to address mourners, before being alerted that Aretha Franklin was not in attendance.