Report: Natalie Cole hospitalized

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Natalie Cole's publicists said the 58-year-old singer, who has been battling hepatitis C, has been hospitalized in New York.

Cole's representatives told People magazine exclusively that the famed recording artist was hospitalized due to side effects from her chemotherapy treatment for the liver disease, which were exacerbated by her busy work schedule.

Cole reportedly was diagnosed with the disease last April, but has been free of the hepatitis C virus since she started undergoing treatment this summer. She is believed to have contracted the virus more than two decades ago when she abused heroin, a former habit she has spoken candidly about.

Although she is expected to return to her Los Angeles home in the next few days, her representatives said she has been ordered to stay on bed rest for a month. She is, therefore, postponing the gigs she had planned for October.

Cole recently released "Still Unforgettable," her new album of pop standards, and has been out promoting it.