Dolly Parton’s Sister Slams AI Posts After Donald Trump Tribute

Dolly Parton’s sister Stella has spoken out against AI-generated content depicting the late country music legend, after Donald Trump shared an image of himself and the Jolene singer in the wake of her death.

In an Instagram post shared on Friday, Stella thanked those who have shown her family “‘genuine’ support and love”, before noting that she and her loved ones have been 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,” wrote Stella, a vocal Trump critic who – unlike her late sister – is outspoken in the political arena.

She continued: “As time passes, those who are in the business of exploiting the loss and tragedies of others on a daily basis will move on to the next stampede of endless misinformation.”

Later in the post, she called on people to “show more compassion and wisdom” towards her and her family, requesting that fans use Dolly’s life and legacy as an example of “tolerance and respect”.

“It’s not about the most clever comments, fake AI garbage or snarky tweets,” she concluded. “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!”

While it’s unclear exactly which posts sparked Stella’s the comments, Trump had used AI after Dolly Parton’s death to make the case that the largely politics-free singer quietly liked him.

Trump, who had previously called for US flags to be lowered in Dolly’s honour, shared an AI-generated illustration on Truth Social showing the Grammy winner holding onto his arm as they walked a White House colonnade. (Note: No images have surfaced of the two appearing with one another in real life.)

He also used Glenn Beck’s talk show to claim that Dolly Parton “really liked” him, adding that she never supported him publicly because she would have lost “20% of her fans”.

It’s difficult to flag intersections between Trump’s policies and the few issues Dolly was happy to publicly weigh in on.

Dolly was known to have championed LGBTQ+ rights during her legendary career, calling for “everybody to be treated [equally]” in response to anti-transgender laws in Tennessee in 2023.

Trump, of course, has occupied his second term with attacks against the trans community.

Similarly, in 2020, Dolly Parton underscored that “of course Black Lives Matter”, referencing the movement that Trump has repeatedly criticised and once described as “toxic propaganda”.