Dolly Parton’s Niece Seemingly Slams Aunt For Causing ‘Hysteria’ About Singer’s Health as Family War Ignites (Exclusive)

Dolly Parton’s deteriorating health – and her younger sister Freida’s dramatic call for prayers – has ignited a withering family squabble that insiders fear could send the country icon spiraling, the National Enquirer has learned.

As readers well know, Dolly, 79, recently sparked fears by shelving the start of her planned Las Vegas residency until next September and missing a planned September 27 appearance at Dollywood because of a kidney stone infection.

Ominously, the reason for her year-long hiatus from Sin City remains a mystery, with the cause being chalked up only to, as she publicly said, “health challenges” that would require “a few procedures.”

Following Dolly’s September 28 announcement, her sister Freida made a public plea for prayers on Facebook that sounded so dire she apologized the next day for having “scared” some people.

“She’s been a little under the weather,” Freida noted in trying to reassure Dolly’s shaken fans the next day.

But hours after Freida’s initial post, Dolly’s tough-as-nails niece, Danielle – a decorated combat veteran who oversees a growing moonshine empire when she isn’t piloting planes for American Airlines – took to social media to seemingly throw shade her aunt’s way.

While not calling out Freida directly, by name, the 49-year-old founder of Shine Girl Moonshine coldly noted on Facebook that nothing had changed with her aunt’s health since the prior week’s statement and “if Dolly had wanted to share more, give details, ask for prayers, whatever, she would have.”

Danielle also noted the “hysteria” and “undue stress” on Dolly and her loved ones “wasn’t helping” even if it was “good intentioned.”

“The knives are clearly out,” a family insider tells the Enquirer. “Danielle didn’t leave much room for doubt about for whom that tirade was intended. In fact, it’s clear the family might have something of a new enforcer in Danielle when Dolly is away.”

While sources say the tight-knit family has kept up a brave face, save for Freida’s untimely outburst, the stakes of the matter were more starkly described among fans of the beloved country icon.

“When it comes to celebrities, families saying they ‘haven’t been feeling their best’ often feels like a euphemism for ‘is on their deathbed,’” one wrote on Reddit, while another compared the situation to Hulk Hogan.

“They issued a statement that he was in the hospital for some surgery and he passed away a few days later while stating before he was doing ‘okay,’” the fan warned of the wrestling icon’s July 24th death. “Under the weather can mean a lot of things when you’re almost 80.”

Sources tells the Enquirer that Dolly “has not been well” since her husband Carl Dean’s death at the age of 82 on March 3, and they fear the “9 to 5” singer will “die of a broken heart.”

Meanwhile, sources note this is hardly the first time Freida, 68, has made waves.

“Freida has been a headache for years,” the family insider notes. “She’s colorful, to say the least. But, in this case, her timing could not have been worse. The stakes are so high with Dolly’s health on the line, that this is the last thing she needs.”

“I, like everyone else, just hope that it doesn’t complicate matters for Dolly because her health is what’s important right now.”