April 29, 2015
LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Folk legend Joni Mitchell is conscious and expected to make a full recovery, her official website said Tuesday, denying a report that she was in a coma.
The TMZ celebrity news outlet earlier reported that the 71 year old, who was rushed to hospital on March 31, was in a coma and "unresponsive."
But her official website said: "Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma.
"Joni is still in hospital -- but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full senses. A full recovery is expected."
TMZ said a friend of the singer-songwriter -- who had been reported as having improved a few days after she was hospitalized -- had filed legal documents to obtain legal guardianship over her.
According to TMZ, the documents say the singer, one of the symbols of the 1960s Woodstock generation, is "so impaired as to be incapable of being assessed."
But her official website said the document "simply gives her long-time 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."
Publicists for the singer did not respond to requests for comment.
Mitchell, whose real name is Roberta Joan Anderson, is known for hits including "Big Yellow Taxi," and "The Circle Game," as well as her role in the 1960's music scene.
She has received eight Grammys, the top prize in the US music industry, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997.
Mitchell has said she suffers from an ailment called Morgellons disease, described as a crawling, biting or stinging sensation all over the body.
The medical diagnosis of the disease is disputed by some doctors, who call it a form of psychosis.
