In 2019, Stella and Dolly Parton had a public clash in the wake of the #MeToo movement. In an interview with the Guardian, Dolly danced around political issues, trying not to step on any toes. When interviewer Hadley Freeman asked if she identified as a feminist, she was hesitant to box herself in: "I mean, I must be if being a feminist means I'm all for women, yes. But I don't feel I have to march, hold up a sign, or label myself ... I'm just all for gals." Later in the interview, she explained the source of her hesitation: "I've got as many Republican friends as I've got Democrat friends, and I just don't like voicing my opinion on things. I've seen things before, like the Dixie Chicks. You can ruin a career for speaking out."

The following week, Stella Parton appeared on CountryLine's OurStories podcast with some choice words for her sister. "I'm ashamed of my sister for keeping her mouth shut. She can run it when it is about something else, but speak up about injustice, Dolly Parton ... Defend women, and don't just do it in a little song." She went on to say that, while she doesn't typically like to criticize Dolly in the public sphere, desperate times call for desperate measures: "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."