After asking her followers to “pray” for her sister Dolly Parton’s recovery, Freida Parton clarified that she didn’t “mean to scare anyone.”
On Tuesday, Freida shared a social media post in which she revealed that she had been “up all night praying” for the country icon, noting: “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately.
“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.”
Freida concluded her post by acknowledging that her sister is “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”: “Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!”
The sincerity of Freida’s message set social media alight, as fans rushed to voice their worries about Dolly’s wellbeing.
“Dolly is a strong woman. Her life is very much private. You know it is dire when family start asking for prayers,” one fan commented. “I love her very dearly. I hope she starts to feel better soon. We need and want her.”
Another said: “I am praying for you Dolly. The world needs more love as have you embraced it.”
Freida later cleared the air on Facebook, clarifying that she “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 explained.
“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 first addressed her health last week when she postponed her Las Vegas residency, originally scheduled for early December, due to an unspecified illness — later confirmed by her manager to be kidney stones.
“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!” Dolly said on Instagram.
“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. You see good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you.”
Dolly added: “And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. 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.”
Dolly: Live in Vegas has been rescheduled for 17–26 September 2026.