Aretha Franklin [ tickets ] plans to sue supermarket tabloid the Star for claiming the soul legend has a drinking problem that has resulted in concert cancellations.

Earlier this month, the Star published a story titled “Aretha Franklin Drinking Herself into the Grave,” in which Franklin is said to have canceled several concerts due to an alleged drinking problem.

"I was appalled and shocked to hear last week that there was a totally trashy and grossly untrue article using my name and likeness in a weekly sleaze supermarket paper that had no bearing whatsoever on who I am and what the truth is, seemingly, because I canceled one or two appearances out of fifty or more this year for legitimate reasons,” Franklin said in a statement issued on Thursday (12/14).

"I realize this magazine, as most intelligent Americans do, writes sleaze for big G's ($) about innocent celebrities and high-profile people with reckless regard for the truth and no proof of such things; based on hearsay and their personal resentments; and on the old lame B.S. of 'sources close to.' "Hopefully, 'sources close to' have advised them that I am filing a $50 million dollar lawsuit for defamation of character, gross inaccuracies and lies, and the writer's cheap, low-class, vicious, and reckless attempt at journalism at my expense."

At press time, the Star had not responded to Franklin’s statement.