Earlier this month, 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.
Freida then spoke out to apologize for asking for prayers, saying that she “didn’t mean to scare anyone.” She added that Dolly is just “a little under the weather.” Dolly herself also surfaced in a video to assure her fans that she’s doing just fine and is “not ready to die.”
Now, insiders are claiming that the Parton family is feuding in the wake of Freida’s comments.
Parton Family Feud
“The knives are clearly out,” said one source close to the family.
Freida, 68, and Dolly, 79, are two of twelve siblings in the Parton family, seven of whom are still alive. It seems that the surviving siblings are not happy with Freida over the comments she made about Dolly’s health.
“Freida has been a headache for years,” the family source explained. “She’s colorful, to say the least. But, in this case, her timing could not have been worse. The stakes are so high with Dolly’s health on the line, that this is the last thing she needs.”
“I, like everyone else, just hope that it doesn’t complicate matters for Dolly because her health is what’s important right now,” the insider concluded. “Freida is going to have a hard time getting back inside the family’s circle of trust.”
Dolly’s Niece Weighs In
Dolly’s niece Danielle Parton, who is the daughter of the “Jolene” singer’s brother Bobby, appeared to blast Freida on social media.
“If Dolly had wanted to share more, give details, ask for prayers, whatever, she would have,” Danielle wrote in a blistering Facebook post. “If it doesn’t come directly from Dolly it isn’t authorized and unless she shared the information, you can bet it’s private and none of mine or anyone else’s business.””
“Let’s give her the space and grace she needs to handle whatever she is trying to handle,” she added. “This hysteria isn’t helping. In fact, it’s causing undue stress for her and the rest of us. Even if good intentioned.”
Freida Begs For Prayers
This all started when Freida took to Facebook earlier this month to beg fans to pray for Dolly. She did this after Dolly postponed her Las Vegas residency by nearly a year amidst mysterious health issues.
“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!”
This post sent Dolly’s millions of fans into panic mode, as they feared the worst. Indeed, many were afraid that Dolly could be near death. Freida later returned to Facebook to clarify what she meant by this.
“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.”
Stella Parton Sounds Off
Dolly and Freida’s sister Stella, 76, got in on the action as well. She 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 Breaks Her Silence
Finally, Dolly herself tried to prove to fans that all is well with her by sharing a video of herself explaining her situation.
“I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.” Dolly said in the video. “Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease.”
“Those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate, and I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith,” she continued. “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.”
Dolly’s husband Carl Dean, who she was married to for nearly 60 years, died back in March. He was 82 years-old.
Dolly Is ‘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.
It seems that the Partons sometimes feud with one another just like any family does. Clearly, they aren’t happy with Freida for getting everyone riled up about Dolly’s health.
While we’re glad that Dolly appears to be doing alright, she could still use our prayers amidst her health struggles. Please join us in saying a prayer for Dolly Parton!