Aretha Franklin Shooting: Gunshot Victim in “Serious Condition” After Argument About Franklin

Aretha Franklin Shooting

WTKR-TV An argument about whether or not Halle Berry had played or should play Aretha Franklin in a movie about her life turned violent in Virginia on Thursday.

An argument about Aretha Franklin and Halle Berry led to a shooting inVirginia that left one person in “serious condition,” according to a report by WKTR-TV.

According to the report, police responded to reports of a shooting at 10:45 AM, EDT. A witness told News 3’s Rachael Cardin that two people in a barbershop had been arguing about whether or not Halle Berry had played or would play Aretha Franklin in a film about the singer’s life.

The fight apparently turned physical, and then one of the men pulled out a firearm and shot the other. The man who was shot is reportedly being treated at a nearby hospital and is in “serious condition.”

It’s unclear how many times the victim was shot, but witnesses told WKTR-TV that they heard four to five gunshots.

In the past, Franklin had said that she would prefer to be played by Halle Berry, if a movie were made about her. In 2011, she said in a statement to Wendy Williams, “I would’ve liked Halle Berry to portray the older Aretha in the upcoming biopic of my life based on my memoir, Aretha: From These Roots. She was my first choice, everything’s subject to negotiation, and she shouldn’t underestimate her own talent. There are a number of other leading ladies out there that can definitely handle the role. I never expected Halle to sing. She’s an actress, not a singer. Many actors have portrayed vocalists by lip-synching to the artists’ original recordings.”

However, Berry has maintained that she would be the wrong person for the job, as she isn’t a singer. Berry said to Ryan Seacrest at the Golden Globes, “Someone should tell Aretha that I can’t do her justice.”

This is a breaking news report and will be updated with information as it comes.

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