For longtime HGTV star Jenny Marrs, 2025 has been a year of difficult losses, from saying goodbye to beloved pets on her family’s Arkansas farm to the deaths of their beloved neighbors and of her mother-in-law in September 2025.
Fortunately, Marrs has a circle of friends always there to support her, including Little Big Town’s Kimberly Schlapman, who has loved up the “Fixer to Fabulous” star during this season of loss. Meanwhile, Schlapman told EntertainmentNow that Marrs has also provided love and inspiration to her as she navigates big life transitions, including the progression of her mom’s journey with Parksinson’s disease.
Jenny Marrs & Kimberly Schlapman Initially Became Friends on Instagram
Schlapman was a fan of Marrs before they became friends, and told EntertainmentNow, “I fell in love with Jenny and Dave on their HGTV show, and something in my heart just knew that we were kind of on the same (wavelength).”
Schlapman said she and Marrs bonded over things they had in common, noting, “They have an adopted daughter, and she went through infertility. We just developed a friendship on Instagram and would talk there. And then we’ve been able to see each other in person a few times, and we just kind of speak the same language.”
“We both love Jesus and our families,” Schlapman continued, “and I think that’s just so special at how honest they are about (hard things) and about the losses that they’ve recently been through and how difficult that is. Because there’s people out there everywhere, going through those losses every day and when they know that they’re not alone, I think that’s just incredibly important.”
“I think it’s a responsibility of people like us to to let those people know that they’re not alone,” Schlapman added. “I just adore Jenny and Dave and their family.”
Schlapman even wrote an endorsement for Marrs’ new book, “Trust God, Love People,” and told EntertainmenetNow it’s “phenomenal — so vulnerable and so honest.”
Kimberly Schlapman Wants Families Facing a Parkinson’s Diagnosis to Feel Supported & Empowered
Like Marrs, Schlapman uses her voice and platform to share her family’s journey. Her mom Barbara, 77, has been bravely living with Parkinson’s for two decades, but her symptoms have recently grown more severe, requiring 24-hour care.
One of the most important things Schlapman has learned over the years, she told EntertainmentNow, is that Parkinson’s patients and their caregivers need loving support from others and to feel confident about asking for what they need. So she agreed to be the face of a new advocacy campaign called Changing the Tune of Parkinson’s Disease, created in partnership with with pharmaceutical company AbbVie.
The goal, according to the campaign’s site, is “to empower people living with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones to be vocal about the true impact of the disease on their daily life … and to work with a their doctor to find a plan that works for them.”
The Grammy winner and her family — husband Stephen and their daughters Daisy, 18, and Dolly, 8 — recently moved from Nashville to South Carolina to be closer to her parents, but credits her siblings with handling many of their mom’s caregiving needs.
“I’m out of town a ton, and can’t be with my parents physically as as often as I would like to be,” Schlapman told EntertainmentNow. “My brother and sister are superstars, really taking care of my parents and especially my mother. My sister, I call her our family quarterback. She schedules all the care, family given and professional care, so she knows what (everyone’s) time slot is. And my brother is there all the time, he cooks for them, and we keep in contact about it all constantly.”
Kimberly Schlapman Says Support From Friends & Family Has Been Crucial
GettyAs a caregiver, Schlapman knows how powerful it is to have good friends in your corner when facing hea challenges and change in a family, which is why her bond with Marrs is so sweet. They both understand the power of just checking in on each other.
Schlapman told EntertainmentNow it doesn’t matter if her friends fully understand Parkinson’s, but that it’s meaningful just to know they care and are genuinely interested in how things are going.
“They want to know because they care about me,” she said. “They want to know, ‘How’s your mom? What has changed? How are you dealing with that? Are you sad? What’s the prognosis?'”
“The fellowship of people who love you is really important for caregivers,” Schlapman continued. “And I think a lot of caregivers do it almost in secret, behind the scenes. We don’t broadcast what all we do for my mother, but, man, the support is crucial for caregivers, so that they know they’re not alone … and also get the help that they need so that they can stay as healthy as possible.”
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