Fonda Won’t Be at Parton’s Park Opening After War Veterans Protest
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PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. — Dolly Parton says Jane Fonda will not attend the opening of Parton’s theme park this weekend after protests from Vietnam War veterans.
Parton and Fonda co-starred along with Lily Tomlin in the movie “9 to 5.”
Tomlin will attend the seasonal opening of Dollywood, in eastern Tennessee about 40 miles south of Knoxville.
“I invited Jane because she is one of my show business friends from the ‘9 to 5’ movie,” Parton said in a statement Thursday.
“Because we are opening a new area called ‘Showstreet,’ I was thinking show biz, not politics. I am very sensitive to the Vietnam veterans, and I didn’t mean to offend them or my people in east Tennessee,” the country singer and actress said.
The statement did not say whether Parton asked Fonda not to come or whether Fonda bowed out. Veterans living near the park said they objected to Fonda because of her anti-war activities.
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