Dolly Parton’s Niece Says Aunt Hid Cancer to Avoid Worrying Anyone

Dolly Parton’s family is continuing to mourn the loss of the country music legend, with her niece Jada Star revealing a touching reason why the singer chose to keep her cancer battle largely out of the public eye.

Speaking with Extra on Tuesday, September 1, Star opened up about Parton’s final weeks and said her aunt never wanted the people she loved to worry about her health.

“She never wanted to worry anybody,” she said, reflecting on the singer’s decision to keep her cancer journey “real private.”

For Star, the legend’s death was still an enormous shock despite knowing her aunt had been dealing with health problems.

“It was really difficult,” Star said, describing losing Parton as “very surreal.”

The outpouring of love following the 80-year-old’s death, however, has helped her family cope with the devastating loss.

“All of these tributes have helped so much to help us all through it,” Star shared.

“I can’t remember a life without her,” she added.

Star also recalled the way Parton handled difficult moments, saying her aunt would encourage the family to keep moving forward.

“She would also tell us to start drying it up and start trying to get back to work and love each other real hard,” Star recalled, adding, “She was just a trip.”

The “Jolene” singer died on August 25 following what her representatives described as a “brief battle with cancer.” Her specific type of cancer was not disclosed.

The revelation about her private cancer battle comes shortly after the country singer herself spoke about her declining health.

In an August 21 statement to People, Parton acknowledged that she had been dealing with several health issues, admitting that she had not paid enough attention to herself while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, before his death in March 2025.

“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 Carl,” the Tennessee icon said.

The singer also acknowledged that her health struggles had been magnified by the constant scrutiny of social media.

“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!” she joked.

But even as she dealt with her health, Parton insisted she had no intention of stepping away from her work.

“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’!” she said, before adding, “I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

The Grammy-winning singer was laid to rest during a private family service in Nashville on August 28. She was buried beside Dean, her husband of nearly 60 years.