Fox News issues apology after using photo of Patti LaBelle in tribute to Aretha Franklin

Fox News has apologized for using a photo of Patti LaBelle during a tribute to late singer Aretha Franklin.

Following Franklin's death Thursday, the network aired a graphic that showed a portrait photo of her in the foreground, and an image of a woman performing in the background. The singer in the background, however, was Ardmore's own LaBelle, not Franklin, which prompted a wave of outrage online.

"We sincerely apologize to Aretha Franklin's friends and family," Fox News media desk vice president Jessica Santostefano said in a statement, the Los Angeles Times reports. "Our intention was to honor the icon using a secondary image of her performing with Patti LaBelle in the full screen graphic, but the image of Ms. Franklin was obscured in that process, which we deeply regret.

The photo Fox used in their graphic is an Associated Press photo from a 2014 show LaBelle did at the White House, but Franklin is not present in the image. According to People, Franklin was in attendance at the show, but it is unclear if the pair performed together.

LaBelle spoke about Franklin on Twitter following the singer's death Thursday, writing that Franklin is "the greatest singer of all time."

"I am deeply saddened about the passing of the Queen of Soul and my sister in song, Aretha Franklin," LaBelle wrote. "Today the world has experienced a tremendous loss."

Franklin died Thursday after battling pancreatic cancer. She was 76. Patti LaBelle plays the Dell Music Center on August 23.