Earlier this week, 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.” This led fans to panic, as they were terrified that Dolly might be near death.
Now, Dolly has reemerged in a new video in which she attempted to put these fears to rest. Indeed, Dolly assured her fans that she is “not ready to die yet.”
‘Do I Look Sick To You?!’
On Wednesday, Dolly took to Instagram to share a video in which she assured her fans that she’s doing just fine.
“Well, today’s October the eighth, and obviously I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kind of like a country western girl,” said Dolly, 79. “But before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.”
“Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease,” she continued. “Those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate, and I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I’m okay. I’ve got some problems. As I mentioned back when my husband, Carl, was very sick. That was for a long time. And then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself. So I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of.”
‘I’m Not Dying…’
Dolly went on to admit that her doctor had told her to take care of a few things. However, she was quick to add that it was “nothing major.”
“I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there,” Dolly added. “But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying.
“But anyway, there’s just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was okay,” she concluded. “So anyhow, that’s what I wanted to say, and I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working. I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”
Dolly posted this video alongside the simple yet powerful caption “I ain’t dead yet!”
Check out the full video for yourself below.
Dolly’s Sister Begs Fans To Pray
This came days after Dolly’s younger sister Freida, 68, begged fans to pray for the country music icon.
“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida wrote on Facebook on 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,” she continued. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
Freida Backtracks
This caused Dolly’s millions of fans to go into panic mode, as they immediately feared the worst for the legendary “Jolene” singer. After seeing the fan response, Freida attempted to backtrack hours later with another Facebook post.
“I want to clear something up,” Freida wrote. “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,” she added. “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.”
The damage, however, was already done. Indeed, many fans continued to panic over Dolly’s wellbeing. That’s likely why Dolly felt the need to reemerge on camera to let her fans know that she’s doing alright.
Check out Dolly, Frieda, and their sister Stella Parton, 76, in happier times in the video below.
While we’re glad to see that Dolly is in such good spirits, continuing to pray for her won’t hurt one bit. Please join us in saying a prayer for Dolly Parton!