Dolly Parton’s sister speaks out as family faces ‘endless’ misinformation

Dolly Parton’s sister Stella is speaking out about the online misinformation surrounding the country music star’s death.

Stella, 77, shared a statement on Instagram Friday and thanked people who had shown genuine love and support to her family during their loss.

“First let me say thank you to the ones of you who have shown ‘genuine’ support and love during this time of our family bereavement,” she wrote.

Stella said she will be OK with time but is currently dealing with her grief in her own way. She also explained that mourning has been especially difficult because her family has lived much of their lives in the public eye.

“Sadly, because of the way our lives have been lived in front of the public, we have no choice but to be subjected to incredible pressure and insensitivity from strangers,” she said.

Stella then called out the amount of false content being shared online.

“There is a tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage being posted everyday and it’s been challenging to absorb and ignore,” she wrote.

She did not explain which specific claims she was referring to.

She also said Dolly avoided sharing strong views on subjects such as politics, religion and other public figures because of how much she cared about her fans.

Dolly died on August 25 at age 80 after a private battle with cancer. Her family has also kept details about her burial largely private.