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Dolly Parton’s sister has hit out after her family has been subjected to a “tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage” following the country icon’s death.
While acknowledging the “genuine” support shared, Stella Parton has expressed that her and her family have experienced “incredible pressure and insensitivity from strangers”.
“Firstly 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 on Instagram. “We will be okay in time but each of us will grieve in our own peronal way.”
She added: “Every human experiences pain and loss in life and my family is no different. 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. There is a tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage being posted everyday and it’s been challenging to absorb and or ignore.”
She went on to criticise “those who are in the business of exploiting the loss and tragedies of others on a daily basis” while noting they will eventually “move on to the next stampede of endless misinformation.”
Dolly Parton died last month at the age of 80, following a “brief battle with cancer”. Since her death, there have been countless tributes from fans, as well as testimonies from celebrities and public figures.
From Stella Parton’s comments regarding “AI and endless garbage” and “endless misinformation”, there’s a chance that she was referring to comments made by Donald Trump, as well as an AI image he posted on Truth Social in which he is seen arm-in-arm with Dolly. The AI image was condemned as “narcissistic”, “disgusting” and “soulless”.
Stella Parton has urged fans to show more compassion in the wake of her sister’s death, reminding fans of the “positive influence” her sister had on 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.”
“At the end of the day or the end of your life, how will you feel about yourself? It’s not about what other individuals you will never meet think of you.”
Dolly Parton was buried last weekend next to Carl Dean, her husband of 60 years, who died in March 2025. The private funeral took place at Nashville’s Woodlawn Memorial Park.