Seventy-nine-year-old country music superstar Dolly Parton recently postponed her Las Vegas residency due to unspecified health issues, raising concern among her fans. On Tuesday, Parton’s sister Freida Parton added to the alarm bells by posting on Facebook that she had been “up all night tonight praying for my sister, Dolly.”
In Freida’s original Tuesday post, she painted a somewhat bleak picture regarding the health of her 11-time-Grammy-winning elder sister. “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately,” Freida wrote on Tuesday. “I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me.” She continued, highlighting Dolly’s strength and her supportive community. “With all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine,” wrote Freida. “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
Fans initially feared the worst, with Page Six noting that some on social media said Freida’s Facebook post was “stressing [them] out” about the “I Will Always Love You” songwriter’s health. Hours after her initial post, Freida posted again on Facebook to “clear something up,” apologizing for concerning fans about the health of the beloved “9 to 5” singer.
“I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” wrote Freida. “She’s been a little under the weather.” The 68-year-old Freida continued by thanking fans for their support of her elder sister. “Thank you all for lifting her up,” she concluded. “Your love truly makes a difference.”
It hasn’t been the easiest year for Dolly. In July, she lost her longtime husband, Carl Dean, to whom she had been married since 1966. Subsequently, she paused all her music projects and press appearances. Last month, Dolly let her legions of fans know that she needed to postpone her highly anticipated Vegas residency due to health concerns; she also revealed that she will not attend the annual Governors Awards in November, where she will receive an honorary Oscar. “I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” she stated. Yet the sunny Dolly also delivered the news with her signature sense of humor. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
Original story appeared in VF España.
The post Dolly Parton’s Sister Apologizes for Alarming Fans With Prayer Request appeared first on Vanity Fair.
