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Joni Mitchell is NOT in a coma, according to her camp. Legal documents, however, suggest otherwise.
In a statement posted on Mitchell’s website on Tuesday evening, her team says, “Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma. Joni is still in the hospital – but she comprehends, she’s alert, and she has her full senses. A full recovery is expected. The document obtained by a certain media outlet simply gives her longtime friend Leslie Morris the authority – in the absence of 24-hour doctor care – to make care decisions for Joni once she leaves the hospital. As we all know, Joni is a strong-willed woman and is nowhere near giving up the fight. Please continue to keep Joni in your thoughts. You may add your well wishes for her at the website WeLoveYouJoni.com.”
The coma report originated with TMZ, which said that the 71-year-old singer, who was hospitalized on March 31 for an undisclosed health issue, was so sick now that she’s “incapable of being assessed.” The generally reliable site obtained legal documents, which the Associated Press also obtained, that said Morris had filed legal documents to serve as the folk singer’s guardian because Mitchell, who does not have any close relatives who could take over a conservatorship, was unconscious. The filing specifically reads, “At [this] time she remains unconscious and unable to make any responses, and is therefore unable to provide for any of her personal needs.”
A declaration from her doctor further said that Mitchell would likely be unable to appear in court for the next four to six months. The conservatorship would allow Morris to make medical decisions, but not have any control over the star’s finances. It is not clear why the legal papers suggest a very different picture than the statement from Mitchell’s camp.
As Gossip Cop previously reported, Mitchell was rushed to UCLA Medical Center almost four weeks ago after she was found unconscious in her Los Angeles home. A 911 call was placed from the residence during which the caller said Mitchell was unresponsive, but by the time paramedics arrived she had regained consciousness. The singer, best known for such songs as “Big Yellow Taxi, “Woodstock,” and “Both Sides Now,” was last seen in public in February at the Pre-Grammy Gala and Salute to Industry Icons. Gossip Cop will continue to have updates on Mitchell’s condition.
