Dolly Parton has a fan club amounting to millions of fans worldwide, and one of those fans is her sister Stella, who is also one of her fiercest defenders. She is coming to her defense now, as spectators react to Parton’s first-ever Thanksgiving Day halftime performance – and in particular, the outfit she wore.
On Thursday, November 23, Parton ascended a stage at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, dressed in a bedazzled blue and silver-white Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit. She belted out classics from her own discography as well as some hit sports anthems, but it was her exposed figure that ended up dividing the audience as much as the sporting event itself.
Dolly Parton’s halftime performance gets a mixed reception
At 77, Parton appeared to defy aging in a two-piece glittering outfit that showed off her waist and her legs. She kept up with all the official team cheerleaders who danced around her as she transitioned from her own “9 to 5” to some Queen classics.
RELATED: Dolly Parton Rocks Thanksgiving Day Halftime Show In Bedazzled Cheerleader Outfit
Off the field, reactions were mixed. Sports commentator Tony Romo called her “amazing” and “wonderful,” and even grew so distracted he forgot to discuss the game at multiple points. However, online, some viewers critiqued her wardrobe choice. “I love Dolly but her outfit tonight was for a 17-year-old not for a 77-year-old,” one said.
Another agreed, “Are you ok with 77 year old Dolly Parton dressing like a 20 year old Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader.” A different viewer said, “Dolly finally giving into thirst traps with this lol this is a little inappropriate.”
Stella goes to defend her sister Dolly Parton after her much-discussed halftime show
I personally thought my big sister Dolly was cute as hell in her Dallas Cowboys cheerleading costume at the half time show on Thanksgiving. To those of you being so critical of a 77 year old kicking up her heels, I say fuck yourself. Shame on you not her.
— Stella Parton (@StellaParton) November 26, 2023
Parton has had plenty of support from fans, with one gushing, “Dolly Parton, 77, rocks skimpy Dallas Cowboys outfit during NFL halftime show. You go girl, you are my hero.” But perhaps the most vocal Dolly defender has been her sister, Stella Parton. On November 26, Stella took to Twitter to not just defend her sister but to condemn those who have been criticizing Parton for her outfit choice.
“I personally thought my big sister Dolly was cute as hell in her Dallas Cowboys cheerleading costume at the half time show on Thanksgiving,” she said. “To those of you being so critical of a 77 year old kicking up her heels, I say f— yourself. Shame on you not her.” Her post has gone on to become a lightning rod for Parton support, with fans agreeing, saying, “She has more humanity in her little finger than all of her naysayers put together.”
Stella Parton continually defends her sister Dolly / ImageCollect
Stella, who is the younger sister to fourth child Dolly Parton, is no stranger to the spotlight and facing strong reactions from audiences. Stella boasts a solid country music career of her own, with her reign reaching its height in the ’70s and defined, perhaps most of all, by the hit “I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight.”
Did you catch Parton’s halftime show performance?
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