Dolly Parton’s Sister Didn’t Expect Trouble When She Asked for Prayer

Published: January 8, 2026

By Kayla DeKraker

Dolly Parton’s younger sister Freida spoke out after receiving backlash for asking for prayers for her legendary sister last fall.

In October 2025, Freida took to Facebook to share that she had been “up all night praying” for Parton, who had postponed her Las Vegas show due to health issues. In the post, she encouraged fans who love Dolly to join her in prayer, saying she believed strongly in the power of collective spiritual support. The heartfelt message, however, quickly led to speculation online that her superstar sister’s health was in far more serious condition than she’d publicly acknowledged.

Thankfully, Parton was just fine, but Freida was glad she asked for prayers anyways, telling Tennessee News Channel 11 that prayer is something they’ve done since childhood.

“Dolly’s always been a guardian angel to me,” the 68-year-old said. “And Mama got sick when we were 13 in Floyd, and we had to go live with Dolly and Carl. And in Brentwood, they hadn’t even built the big house yet. They used to let us go out there and pick up wood and stuff, for extra money.”

Freida explained how her mother encouraged her to intercede for others through prayer.

“I just said what I said because Mama told us to pray,” she said. “And, so I prayed, and I wanted people to pray for her because she wasn’t feeling good.”

She added, “It’s like, hey, I didn’t mean it to happen. I just asked, you know, for people to pray for. Because that’s the way I was raised, you know, pray.”

Freida added that her sister was not upset, and the singer soon reassured her social media followers that she “ain’t dead yet.”

Freida continued, “She probably thought, ‘Well, she didn’t know about the internet then. She had no idea.’ So I didn’t get in trouble with her or none of the family. But some people were very upset with me because I had said that.”

In fact, Parton is as busy as ever, with a recent insider saying, “She’s pushing herself to stay upbeat and productive. But between the surgeries, the long hours, and losing Carl, she’s feeling the weight of everything. Still, Dolly’s spirit is unbreakable. She’ll be back when she’s ready.”

Despite the challenges, Parton continues to create new projects and shine. For New Years, she shared a photo of herself to Instagram with the caption “New year, same sparkle.”