Aretha Franklin invited Wendy Williams into her home for a very intimate interview. She spoke about her dramatic weight loss, pop culture, and even reality TV, but remained tight-lipped about her major surgery.

In the exclusive interview with ?The Wendy Williams Show,? Franklin said she was continuing to work on her health.

Franklin said she has focused on changing her diet?– including avoiding food “smothered” in hot sauce.

“That’s off the menu now… and no pig feet, either.”

The 68-year-old ?Queen Of Soul? said she was motivated to shed the weight after seeing photos of herself and revealed she had a difficult time losing the weight.

“I was doing everything you could to lose that weight, and it’s hard. It’s just really hard. [But] you can’t continue eating things that will hurt you eventually.”

In part 2 of Wendy’s interview, Franklin spoke about her upcoming biopic and why she originally chose Halle Berry (who turned down the role) to portray her:

I knew she couldn’t sing. Never expected her to. She was my first choice but not my only choice.

Watch Part 1 AND 2 of Wendy Williams’ exclusive interview with Aretha Franklin below:

VIDEO: Aretha Franklin on Wendy Williams (Part 1)

Franklin kept mum on her mysterious ailment, which was rumored to be everything from pancreatic cancer to complications from a gastric bypass or weight loss surgery.

“A lot of things were said. I left that behind,” she added. “And I couldn’t be feeling any better than I’m feeling right now.”

Many Dr’s have publicly speculated that Franklin chose the surgical weight loss path. Dr. Lawrence Koplin, a Beverly Hills?surgeon,?has not treated Franklin, but told Fox News that it’s likely Franklin did undergo some type of surgical weight loss procedure.

“Losing this amount of weight with exercise and diet would require a strict, strict team, and is said to be impossible especially [for] those above 40 with a slowed metabolism. Surgical correction is the fastest way to see an 85-pound weight decrease in just a few months.”

However she chose to lose it, I’m glad she did.

Part II ~ Aretha talks about her new movie and asks Wendy to help finance it!

VIDEO: Aretha Franklin on Wendy Williams (Part 2)

On the Grammy tribute performance:

It was wonderful! Aguiliera was good. She was feeling it that night. Jennifer was good. But I particularly liked what Yolanda Adams did with “Spirit in the Dark”

On Fantasia being upset that she wasn’t included in the tribute:

I didn’t do the selection. She needs to learn that you are not going to participate in everything you would like to participate in.

On love and marriage. Wendy insinuated that Aretha was a bit gullible:

No No… I’m not gullible. YOU get stupid. I’m not gonna be stupid.

If you weren’t the queen of soul what would you be:

I would be a prima ballerina or an executive assistant.

I totally loved this interview. Wendy wasn’t afraid to ask some tough questions and the chemistry between the two was like watching two old friends sit around for lunch!

Aretha’s new CD, “A Woman Falling Out of Love” will be on shelves the first week of May.