Dolly Parton's sister asks for 'compassion' as family grieves country icon
Dolly Parton's sister Stella Parton is asking the public to show compassion as her family continues to grieve the country music icon's death.
Stella Parton shared a letter on Instagram Friday, marking 10 days since her sister died at age 80 following a brief battle with cancer.
"We will be okay in time but each of us will grieve in our own personal way," Stella wrote, adding that the family has faced added pressure while mourning in the public eye.
Stella also addressed what she described as an influx of artificial intelligence-generated content and other posts circulating online following her sister's death.
"There is a tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage being posted everyday and it's been challenging to absorb and or ignore," she wrote.
She asked people to "show more compassion and wisdom," encouraging fans to look to her sister's life as an example of how to treat others.
"Use my sister's life as an example for tolerance and respect toward others," Stella wrote. "It's not about the most clever comments, fake AI garbage or snarky tweets."
Stella said Dolly understood the negativity that could come with public discourse and intentionally avoided weighing in on some divisive subjects, including politics and religion.
"She loved her fans and the public in general," Stella wrote, adding that her sister viewed negativity as "a huge waste of positive energy."
Friday's message was not the first time Stella has spoken publicly about her sister since her death.
Two days after Dolly's death, Stella shared another tribute in which she described her sister as generous and kind and revealed that Dolly had been willing to try experimental drugs during her cancer treatment in hopes the research could eventually benefit others.
"My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I've ever known," Stella wrote at the time. "What the world saw is exactly who she was."
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