Is Joni Mitchell In A Coma Or Not? Friend Claims Singer Is Alert, ‘Nowhere Near Giving Up The Fight’

Reports that singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell is in a coma may not be as straightforward as they seem. Despite court filings seem that seem to suggest the 71-year-old is incapacitated, an official statement asserts she’s just fine.

News broke Tuesday that Mitchell, hospitalized last month after being found unconscious in her house, had slipped into a coma; she’s still being cared for at UCLA Medical Center.

But long-time friend Leslie Morris, who has petitioned to be Joni’s guardian and has declared authority to make statements on her behalf, refuted those rumors in a statement on Mitchell’s official website on Wednesday.

“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 … As we all know, Joni is a strong-willed woman and is nowhere near giving up the fight.”

This doesn’t mesh too well with a filing Morris made in court Tuesday for guardianship over Joni, the Associated Press added. In these documents, she claimed that Mitchell, who has no family, can’t care for herself. Entertainment Weekly provided the details of the filing.

“(Joni Mitchell) suffered a medical emergency in late March and was taken to UCLA Medical center where she remains at this time,” reads the document, which was also obtained by EW. “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 doctor’s declaration further confirmed that Mitchell won’t be able to appear in court for up to six months, but provided no clarification about the singer’s condition.

Evidently, the filing’s purpose, according to Joni’s new guardian – is to give her the authority to make decisions for Mitchell once she finally leaves the hospital and a doctor isn’t around, the New York Daily News added.

The sickness that sent Joni to the hospital in the first place is also still a mystery. In addition to other medical conditions, Mitchell claims to suffer from an illness called “Morgellons,” a rare and misunderstood condition that causes crawling and biting sensations and weird, multicolored fibers to protrude through the skin, the Inquisitr previously reported.

[Photo Courtesy Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]