Dolly Parton’s sister has apologized for alarming fans with a social media post about the iconic country music singer’s health.
On Tuesday, Freida Parton said she was “up all night praying for my sister” and used verbiage like “she’s strong, she’s loved” and “Godspeed,” leading many fans to believe the 79-year-old Dolly was in a bad way.
A day later, Freida, one of Parton’s 11 siblings, clarified that her sister had simply been a little under the weather.”
“I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” Freida said in an update. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.”
Dolly’s health has been a point of conversation lately and that likely contributed to paranoia. She had to postpone a planned residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The show was supposed to begin in December but was postponed until September 2026.
Earlier in September, Parton missed an event at her theme park, Dollywood, instead appearing virtually to explain that she had developed an infection caused by a kidney stone and was advised not to travel.
One of the true legends of music, Dolly has won 11 Grammy awards, a Primetime Emmy and has been inducted into both the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. And holds records for No. 1 country singles on Billboard and Top 10 country albums.