Aretha's Dying Confessions

Queen of Soul’s 40-year affair with James Brown Nasty catfights with Dionne and Beyoncé Heartache over putting son in mental hospital

SOUL queen Aretha Franklin made shocking deathbed confessions — including a bombshell revelation that she carried on a torrid affair with James Brown for four decades — as she lay in hospice care fighting for life, insiders say.

Wasted away to a tragic 81 pounds by pancreatic cancer and deadly diabetes, the Respect songbird also admitted to shocking bad blood feuds with singing greats Dionne Warwick and Beyoncé, and her greatest heartache — putting her mentally deranged son in an institution.

But the 76-year-old diva’s most explosive confession was her secret love for the Godfather of Soul, insiders say.

“She kept it to herself all her life, but Aretha’s heart belonged to James,” says a source.

Aretha previously hinted about her secret lover, saying the stud was “a well-known public figure” she nicknamed “Mr. Mystique” — revealing their affair spanned 40 years!