The 70-year-old singer and actress was due to appear in a Lifetime movie about the 2016 water crisis in Flint, Michigan, but revealed in a statement that she would not be able to complete her commitments due to a "serious family issue", reported Entertainment Tonight.
Her statement read, "This has been a project so near and dear to my heart and I was truly looking forward to helping tell this story.
"Unfortunately, I will be unable to leave Los Angeles during the scheduled filming as I am dealing with a serious family issue that prevents me from going on location for the April filming.
The "I Got You Babe" musician, who has donated water bottles to the Flint community, was also set to be an executive producer on the television movie, which would have marked her first return to the small screen since her Golden Globe-nominated role in "If These Walls Could Talk" in 1996.