Dolly Parton’s sister is not happy with her.
Stella Parton, 69, appeared on the CountryLine “Our Stories” podcast recently and discussed her dissatisfaction with her sister’s silence on the #MeToo movement.
“I’m ashamed of my sister for keeping her mouth shut,” she said.
“She can run it when it is about something else, but speak up about injustice, Dolly Parton. Speak up. And speak out. Defend women, and don’t just do it in a little song. Speak up.”
She continued, “This is the first time I’ve really publicly called my sister out. But it’s high time that some of these older women speak up and speak out. They’ve all gone through all kinds of abuse in this industry so: Speak up!”
Dolly Parton, 73, recently mentioned the #MeToo movement in an interview with Sky News.
“I think there’s always gonna be a long way to go. It’s just a work in progress, as life itself is, especially for women in the workplace. So I think that’s why we’re here now, with the #MeToo movement,” she said.
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Of her own experience with sexual harassment, she said, “I never found myself in any of those positions or I tried to stay out of those positions, and if I found myself in that — I was lucky I had a great personality and a great sense of humor that I could joke my way out of a lot of it. And then if I couldn’t, I have a temper and backbone so I could get out of it some other way.”
Dolly Parton was not the only public figure her sister targeted in her recent interview.
She also went after actresses Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep.
“In the same way that Jane Fonda and people who have been in Hollywood all these years and never said a word — like Meryl Streep was all big buddies with Harvey Weinstein until he got busted,” she said. “And then she kinda came around to say, ‘Well, you know, that’s terrible’ … Well, why didn’t you speak up when it came down? You knew it? All these women just didn’t speak up because they’re afraid they’re gonna mess with their fan base. I think women would be more apt to respect you if you would speak up.”
She then went on to praise former first lady Michelle Obama.
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“That’s why I was so happy to have people in our government like Michelle Obama, who has always been such an inspiration to the younger generation of women. I believe we finally have a chance here. We have an open window. Don’t let it be closed by keeping your mouth shut,” she said.
Stella and Dolly are two of 12 children.
Stella Parton is a country singer and songwriter.
Her biggest hit was 1975’s “I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight.”
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