Dolly Parton’s Sister Apologizes For Dire-Sounding ‘Prayers’ Message, Says Singer Is ‘A Little Under the Weather’

Dolly Parton‘s sister, Freida, has issued an apology for alarming fans of the country icon earlier this week when she asked for prayers for her sibling as she dealt with some health issues.

In a statement posted on Facebook on Tuesday (Oct. 7), Freida wrote, “I want to clear something up. I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly,” she said. “She’s been a little under the weather, and I simply asked for prayers because I believe so strongly in the power of prayer. It was nothing more than a little sister asking for prayers for her big sister. Thank you all for lifting her up. Your love truly makes a difference.”

The update came after Freida sparked serious concern earlier in the day on Tuesday when she told her followers she had been “up all night praying for my sister, Dolly.” She added, “Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been [led] to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me. She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine.”

The post came a week after Parton postponed her planned six-show December Las Vegas residency, citing “health challenges,” writing in a statement at the time that her doctors told her she has to have “a few procedures,” promising she will be back on stage soon. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!,” Parton, 79, joked.

Parton’s rep, Olly Rowland, told the Las Vegas Review-Journal on Tuesday that Dolly is fine, explaining that, “It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those. It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.” The paper said that Parton is well enough that she plans to record a video on Wednesday for an undisclosed project from her home in Nashville.