Stella Parton urges compassion as family mourns Dolly Parton's death

Stella Parton posted a letter on Instagram ten days after her sister Dolly Parton died at age 80 following a short fight with cancer. She said the family will eventually be okay, but each member will mourn in their own way and noted the added pressure of grieving under public scrutiny.

The singer’s sister also warned that a large amount of artificial-intelligence-generated content and other online posts have been appearing since Dolly’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, urging fans to "show more compassion and wisdom."

Stella asked readers to use Dolly's life as a model for tolerance and respect, emphasizing that the focus should not be on clever or snarky comments. She recalled that Dolly deliberately avoided commenting on divisive topics such as politics and religion, because she viewed negativity as a waste of positive energy. > "She loved her fans and the public in general," Stella added.

Earlier tributes from Stella described Dolly as generous, thoughtful and kind, and mentioned that Dolly had been willing to try experimental drugs during her cancer treatment in hopes that the research might help others.