HEALTHDolly Parton 'Knew Her Life Was Almost Over' Despite Trying to Assure Fans She 'Wasn't Critically Ill,' Says Source: 'She Was Being Her Brave Self'
Dolly Parton reportedly knew her health was worsening while she continued reassuring fans that she was recovering.
Aug. 26 2026, Published 4:52 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton reportedly knew her health was far more serious than she let on in the months before her death.
The country music icon died at age 80 on Tuesday, August 25, after a "brief battle with cancer."
Dolly Parton 'Knew Her Life Was Almost Over'
Sources claimed Dolly Parton had privately understood how serious her condition had become before her death at 80.
"When Dolly told People she was still working and healing, she knew her life was almost over," a source told the Daily Mail. "She tried to reassure her legions of fans that she wasn't critically ill. But she knew her time was almost up."
"She was being her brave Dolly self, not wanting to let her fans down," the source added.
Dolly Parton 'Didn't Want the World to Know'
A source claimed the country star 'didn't want the world to know.'
One insider claimed to the outlet, "Her health problems were much worse than she was willing to tell fans, obviously, and she was bad off for many months."
"She didn't want the world to know that she was very sick," the source continued.
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'I'm Still Healin', I'm Still Workin''
Dolly Parton spoke to 'People' about her health struggles four days before her death.
Just four days before her death, Parton spoke with People about her health.
"I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over [late husband] Carl [Dean]," she told the outlet.
"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.
"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 healin', I'm still workin,'" the singer shared.
Dolly Parton Passed Away at 80
Dolly Parton died on August 25.
Parton's death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a video shared to social media.
"Dolly called me and said she wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton because after a life of wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest," he said, in part.
The country singer was surrounded by family at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., when she died, per TMZ.
Sources told the outlet that the 9 to 5 singer's death was "sudden" even to her family. They were aware she was sick, but thought she would "pull through."
Four days before her death, Parton was hospitalized with "kidney and autoimmune issues."
