Dolly Parton has spoken about her ongoing health problems after she was forced to pull out of a Dollywood appearance earlier this month, saying she put her own health concerns to the side while caring for her late husband Carl Thomas Dean before his death last year.
The country music icon, 80, issued an update on her health in a new interview, sharing: “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”
“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health. But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she added.
Marriage and loss
The Jolene singer was married to Dean for almost 60 years until his death in March 2025, aged 82. She told People: “I used to joke that I was the Queen of the Tabloids, but now I guess I can say I’m the Queen of Social Media AI! Seriously, though, even though I’m still healing, I’m still working.”
Parton's late husband had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2019, but his cause of death was withheld in keeping with their wish for privacy following his diagnosis.
Missed Dollywood event
Earlier this month, she missed the opening night of a new attraction at her Tennessee theme park after experiencing dizziness and dehydration, with doctors advising her against travel.
Appearing virtually as the epic new NightFlight Expedition was unveiled, Parton apologised, telling fans: “I’m still in Nashville, and I’m sorry about that.” Revealing that she had become dizzy and dehydrated, she continued: “I’m supposed to be there in person, like we planned.”
“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 said.
Doctor's orders
Dressed in fairy wings and a pink rhinestone jumpsuit, she said: “And I’m dehydrated. 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,” she continued, explaining that she likes keeping her fans “in the loop” as she promised she would “on everything.”
Her comments follow a string of postponed or cancelled appearances amid ongoing concerns for her health. In October, relentless speculation prompted Parton to post a video to social media joking that she “ain’t dead yet.”
She told Instagram followers: “There are just a lot of rumours flying around. But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was OK.”
Previous cancellations
In May, the singer was forced to cancel a Las Vegas residency due to ill health, telling fans she was “truly sorry” and telling Instagram followers that “everything I have is treatable” but said it would take a while “before I’m up to stage-performance level”.
Parton was originally due to perform six shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in December, but was forced to postpone them due to unspecified health challenges.
“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” she explained. “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.”
Parton's last public appearance was in June when she opened her Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop by proudly cutting the unique roadside destination's pink ribbon. In July, the singer suffered more heartbreak after the death of her brother Coy 'Denver' Parton at the age of 82 - the fifth Parton brother to die after Larry, David, Randy, and Floyd.
