Joni Mitchell's rep disputes coma report, says she is alert and expected to recover

LOS ANGELES, April 28 (UPI) -- Joni Mitchell's representatives are disputing an online report stating the Canadian singer-songwriter is in a coma and unresponsive at UCLA Medical Center, nearly a month after she was discovered unconscious in her Los Angeles home.

TMZ reported the update on Mitchell's condition Tuesday and said Leslie Morris, Mitchell's longtime friend, has filed legal documents to obtain a conservatorship over the famed recording artist.

The court papers indicate Mitchell is "so impaired as to be incapable of being assessed," the celebrity news website said.

However, a statement posted on Mitchell's official website shot down the account.

"Contrary to rumors circulating on the Internet today, Joni is not in a coma," the statement said. "Joni is still in the hospital -- but she comprehends, she's alert, and she has her full senses. A full recovery is expected. The document obtained by a certain media outlet simply gives her longtime 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. Please continue to keep Joni in your thoughts."

The 71-year-old recording artist is best known for her songs "Both Sides, Now," "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Woodstock."