Dolly Parton has shared a new health update with fans, saying she is still healing from the physical toll of grief and other medical issues but remains determined to keep working. The country icon, who was married to Carl Dean for 58 years before his death last March, told People magazine on Friday that she is dealing with health problems she neglected while caring for her late husband.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” Parton said. She acknowledged that she has faced health struggles before, recalling that in the early 1980s she was “down for several months with female issues.” However, she noted that the current situation feels different because of the modern media landscape. “I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she said. “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!”
Parton explained the root cause of her current medical problems, saying she has long dealt with kidney stones. “Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee,” she joked. More seriously, she added that her immune and digestive systems became “all out of whack” over the past couple of years, and doctors are now working to rebuild and strengthen them. “Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’,” she said.
The update comes after Parton was forced to cancel her upcoming Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. She had initially postponed the run of shows in October, citing several “health challenges” that prevented her from completing rehearsals in time. The shows were originally scheduled for December 2025 before being moved to December of this year.
Parton’s health has been a topic of concern among fans for months. Her sister Freida sparked worry last October when she posted on social media asking fans to keep Dolly in their prayers. “Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” Freida wrote. She later clarified her statement, saying she “didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious.”
Parton herself posted a video days later to reassure fans, filming from the set of a Grand Ole Opry commercial. “I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am,” she said. “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.” In March, she made her first public appearance in several months, delivering a keynote speech at Dollywood. She attributed her condition to grief, saying she had become “worn down and worn out” after losing Carl. “I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically,” she said at the time. “But all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”
Despite her ongoing recovery, Parton said she is looking into new ways to bring fans fresh experiences, including working with various companies to create “avatar performances.” She remains one of the most popular public figures in America, and her resilience has been a recurring theme in her public statements throughout the past year.