Dolly Parton’s sister breaks silence on icon’s death: ‘Dolly loved the world and everyone in it’
Dolly Parton’s sister breaks silence on icon’s death: ‘Dolly loved the world and everyone in it’
Joey NolfiThu, August 27, 2026 at 3:44 PM UTC
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Dolly Parton and sister Stella PartonCredit: JB Lacroix/WireImageKey Points -
Dolly Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, reacted to her big sister’s death.
“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it,” Stella wrote in a statement.
She added that her “Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same,” referencing a weekly ritual the siblings had.
Dolly Parton’s little sister, Stella Parton, has broken her silence on the icon’s death at age 80.
In a new statement shared Thursday online, Stella, 77, mourned the “9 to 5” and “Islands in the Stream” performer by telling her followers, “My big sister Dolly got her wings” when she died earlier this week.
“If anyone gets to heaven I’m sure she made it right on time. I know she’s showing out big time, in all her sparkles and shine. That was my sister’s way,” Stella, also a country singer, wrote. “Every Tuesday about this time, before the sun came up and the world was still asleep, she and I, for many years, had our coffee together over the phone. Being little farm girls we’ve continued to be early risers. As she liked to say; ‘Shoot Tedda, we get more work done before the sun comes up than most folks do all day long!’ We would catch up on gossip, as sisters do, and drink coffee and make plans, as it has always been our way.”
Stella went on to call Dolly “one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I’ve ever known,” and said that “what the world saw is exactly who she was” as she watched fans and celebrities alike post tributes to Dolly’s kindness and humanitarianism in the wake of her death.
“My sister was always thinking of others, and if you want to honor her legacy, show more kindness, lift others up, and give more of your time and resources, as she continued to do to the very end,” Stella advised in her statement.
She said that her “Tuesday morning coffee time will never be the same, but her love, respect and goodness will remain” long after Dolly’s death.
“Dolly loved the world and everyone in it. I would criticize and complain about it, and she would laugh and say; ‘Shoot Tedda, we’ve got more important things to do than worry about their silly asses.’ She was right, and she proved it every day,” Stella finished. “She left the world a better place by being in it, so let’s follow her example.”
Dolly and Stella were part of a large family of siblings, which also includes 10 other brothers and sisters — namely Freida, who courted fan concern late last year when she publicly asked Dolly’s supporters to pray for her amid various health challenges.
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“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly,” Freida said in a Facebook post at the time. “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.”
Freida’s post came amid Dolly’s heavily altered schedule, including postponed performances and missed events due to personal health issues that weren’t fully disclosed at the time.
Though Freida later clarified her words, Dolly shared a video update days later, telling fans that she was alive and well, proclaiming, “I ain’t dead yet!” in the post’s caption.
Dolly Parton performs at DollywoodCredit: Curtis Hilbun/Dollywood
Dolly died Tuesday at age 80, following a brief battle with cancer, the star’s representatives told Entertainment Weekly’s sister publication, PEOPLE.
“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched,” the statement read. “Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.”
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It continued, “Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.”
Read Stella’s tribute to Dolly in the statement above.
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
