Country music legend Dolly Parton was forced to cancel her appearance at her Dollywood theme park after doctors advised her against travelling due to continuing health issues, including dehydration and an infection.
Instead of attending in person, the 80-year-old made a virtual appearance for the launch ceremony of Dollywood's latest roller coaster, NightFlight Expedition, on Friday, August 14.
Doctor's Orders
Explaining her absence, Parton said: "I'm still in Nashville, [Tennessee], and I'm sorry about that," according to footage shared by Knoxville News Sentinel and the Tennessean.
"I'm supposed to be there in person, like we planned," she continued. "Now I've told you before, all my fans, that I have had a few little health issues. And sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated."
She added: "And so my Nashville doctor clipped my wings, saying you ain't traveling this week. So I guess if your doctor tells you you ain't traveling this week, you ain't traveling this week."
Recent Health Struggles
Parton's most recent public outing was at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for her Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop in late June, where she appeared in high spirits outside the Cornersville, Tennessee, shop. That appearance was her first in months after enduring kidney stones in September 2025.
In the video, she clarified: "Turns out there was an infection, and the doctor said, 'You don't need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better.'"
In May, Parton revealed through a video message that she had chosen to cancel her rearranged Las Vegas residency performances because she would need time before being "up to stage performance level."
She elaborated: "The good news is I'm responding really well to meds and treatments and I'm improving every day. I'm doing really well, and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I'm going with that, and I just want you to know I thank you for standing by me and that I will always love you."
