Yesterday, we reported that Freida Parton, the younger sister of Dolly Parton, was begging fans to pray for the country music legend as she battles unspecified “health challenges.” Now, Freida is backtracking on this in a big way. Indeed, she’s speaking out to apologize to fans for making them worry about Dolly.
Freida Wants To ‘Clear Something Up…’
“I want to clear something up,” Freida, 68, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday evening. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly.”
“She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer,” Freida continued. “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.”
This was in stark contrast to what Freida had posted to Facebook just hours before.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida had written that Tuesday morning. “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been lead to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.”
“She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine,” Freida added. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
The Truth About Dolly’s Health Battle
Needless to say, this post led fans to go into panic mode as they feared the worst for Dolly. On Wednesday, Dolly and Freida’s sister Stella, 76, took to social media to reveal what’s really going on with the country music icon’s health.
“To those with genuine concern for my big sister Dolly’s well being, she posted a video last week to share with her fans that she has had kidney stones and is getting treatment,” Stella wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “My sister Freida is always concerned when one of her siblings isn’t feeling well so she ask for prayers on Dolly’s behalf. It’s my job as a sister to both of them to love and respect their privacy as I expect them to do for me.”
“To those of you who make it your job to attack me for not being your personal information center, you need to go check their pages!” she continued. “Most fans are genuinely concerned but some of you are way out of line with disregard for my feelings concerning their wellbeing. My big sister will share with her fans when she so chooses in the meantime don’t come at me with questions or insults.”
Dolly Postpones Las Vegas Residency
Dolly’s British manager Olly Rowland also confirmed that Freida’s original post was overblown.
“It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those,” he told Daily Mail. “It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”
Freida’s post came after Dolly took to Instagram on September 28 to reveal that because of her health struggles, she will be postponing her Las Vegas residency by nearly a year.
“I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts,” Dolly wrote. “As many of you know, I’ve been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000 check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
“In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see,” the legendary “Jolene” singer added. “You see good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
Dolly: God ‘Is Telling Me To Slow Down’
Dolly went on to assure her devoted fans that she won’t be retiring from performing.
“And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet,” Dolly concluded. “But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you. I love you and thank you for understanding.”
Dolly had been scheduled to perform a limited engagement at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas starting in December. However, these dates have now been pushed all the way back to September of 2026.
The chaos that ensued in the wake of Freida’s initial post serves as a reminder of just how beloved Dolly really is. Unlike the vast majority of celebrities, Dolly is universally beloved by fans of all different walks of life regardless of things like their gender, sexuality, and political beliefs.
We’re glad to see that Dolly’s health situation doesn’t seem to be nearly as dire as it appeared to be. Nevertheless, please join us in saying a prayer for Dolly Parton!