Reba McEntire slams AI over Dolly Parton deathbed hoax
Reba McEntire has condemned AI "nonsense" after a fake picture appeared online purporting to show the singer saying her last goodbyes to music legend Dolly Parton.
Reba McEntire has condemned AI "nonsense" after a fake picture appeared online purporting to show the singer at Dolly Parton's deathbed.
The country star has spoken out following a slew of online hoaxes which have used digital wizardry to conjure up false images - including one which appeared to show Reba, 70, holding up sonogram with her fiance Rex Linn and another which seemingly showed her clasping Dolly's hand as she lay in a hospital bed.
Dolly subsequently spoke out to assure fans she's not dying and Reba has now addressed the fakery in a post on Instagram, saying: "You tell ‘em, Dolly.
"All that AI mess has got us doing all kinds of crazy things. You’re out there dying. I’m out here having a baby.
"Well both of us know you’re too young and I’m too old for any of that kind of nonsense."
She added of Dolly: "You better know I’m praying for you. I love you with all my heart, and I can’t wait to see you soon, love you."
Dolly went public with her health issues recently when she was forced to postpone her upcoming residency in Las Vegas - which had been due to kick off in December - because she's required to undergo "a few procedures".
In a social media statement, the Jolene hitmaker 79, explained: "I want the fans and public to hear directly from me that, unfortunately, I will need to postpone my upcoming Las Vegas concerts.
"As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures. 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!
"In all seriousness, given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see. You pay good money to see me perform, and I want to be at my best for you."
However, the announcement sparked a flurry of online gossip about Dolly's health - including the fake deathbed snap - so the singer addressed the speculation in a video posted on Instagram.
She said: "Well, today is October the 8th, and obviously I'm here ... I know lately everybody thinks I'm sicker than I am, do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.
"Anyways, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate.
"I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I'm okay."
Dolly explained that some of her "problems" were linked to the aftermath of losing Carl Dean, her husband, in March.
The 9 to 5 hitmaker said: "Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of.
"So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, we need to take care of this. We need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I’m not dying."
