Four days before her death, Dolly Parton spoke about her health struggles: 'Still healing, still working'

Dolly Parton's death at 80 on August 25 has drawn attention back to comments she made about her health in the days and months leading up to it. Her representatives confirmed she died following a brief illness with cancer, though the specific type was not disclosed, at Nashville's Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, according to a statement given to People.

“Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand,” the statement read.

“Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly’s unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact. After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones,” the statement concluded.

In an interview to People, just four days before she died, Parton had not publicly disclosed a cancer diagnosis, though she had told fans she was facing health struggles in the time before her death. She connected her declining health to the period when she was caring for her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 after nearly six decades of marriage.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over [my husband] Carl. You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this. Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” Parton had said.

She added: “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. 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’! You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m going to keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

Her health struggles weren't a sudden development. She had also canceled a Las Vegas residency show in May and said she'd been receiving treatment for kidney stones over several years. Fans first became aware of her health difficulties roughly a year before her death, when she canceled Las Vegas residency dates in September 2025 to address what she called "health challenges."

Months later, at the opening of Dollywood's 41st season in March, she spoke again about facing some health issues, attributing it partly to exhaustion.

Parton was hospitalised on Friday, August 21, and died four days later. Her nephew, Bryan Seaver, who serves as her head of security, announced her passing in a video posted to her Instagram account before her representatives issued a fuller statement addressing the cause of death.