Dolly Parton was ‘at peace’ at the time of her death, says sister Stella
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Dolly Parton’s sister Stella has shed more light on her famous sibling's final moments in a new interview.
As per the 77-year-old singer, her older sister was “at peace” when she died at the age of 80 on August 25. Stella also revealed that Dolly knew where she was going and believed she would be reunited with their parents.
Stella Parton says Dolly Parton was at peace before her death
Stella sat down with Gayle King on CBS Mornings on Thursday, September 10, where she shared, “I know she was at peace. I could always tell by looking at her face, even if I hadn’t seen her in months.”
Continuing further, she revealed during the exclusive interview, “On camera, I could tell if she was hurt, angry, happy or sad or felt bad. I could see it on her. She was my sister. You know, we were very close as a family.”
“She knew where she was going. She wasn’t going anywhere bad, she was going to be with Momma and Daddy. She was definitely prepared,” Stella added.
Stella's comments offered a glimpse into Dolly's state of mind during her final days and the close bond the sisters shared as members of a tight-knit family.
Dolly Parton kept her cancer diagnosis private
Elsewhere during the interview, Stella explained why the late global icon did not reveal her cancer diagnosis to the public and many of her family members.
“Well, Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear negative things and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it. She didn’t want a lot of the family worried about it. Some of us knew, the ones that were closer, but not every relative,” Stella explained.
Stella had previously shared that only some members of the family knew about Dolly's health struggles. The singer had chosen to keep the information private, including from many relatives, because she did not want her loved ones or fans to worry about her.
Stella Parton asks fans to show compassion after Dolly Parton's death
This came days after Stella issued a statement via her Instagram page, highlighting the issue of “tremendous amount of AI and endless garbage being posted everyday and it’s been challenging to absorb or to ignore” in the aftermath of the ‘Jolene’ singer's death.
She urged people to “show more compassion and wisdom as we move forward in life.”
“Use my sister's life as an example for tolerance and respect toward others. It's not about the most clever comments, fake AI garbage or snarky tweets. At the end of the day or the end of a life, how will you feel about yourself? It's not about what other individuals you will never meet think of you!” she stated.
However, as Stella concluded her statement, she added, “I am not nor have I ever tried to be like my sister even though we have inherited similar traits as siblings. That being said, I've always embraced my own personality and will continue to be myself and express my opinions as I deem appropriate regardless of what anyone thinks of me. It's my right as a human being!”
