Dolly Parton Gives Hopeful Update After 'Hard Times' With Health

Dolly Parton has been down a bit recently, but she's not out. In a new interview, the entertainment icon says she's "still healin'" and "still workin'" despite having gone through some "hard times with my health."

How Is Dolly Parton's Health?

In a new interview with People, the 80-year-old country superstar, actor, author and businesswoman says, “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”

Parton's husband of more than 50 years, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at age 82. He had reportedly battled Alzheimer's for years before his death.

Parton' update comes one week after she skipped the opening ceremony for the new NightFlight Expedition rollercoaster at Dollywood, opting to appear via video rather than in person.

"I'm still in Nashville, and I'm sorry about that," Parton said in the clip.

"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.

"And I'm dehydrated, and so my Nashville doctor clipped my wings, saying you ain't traveling this week."

Has Dolly Parton Had Health Issues in the Past?

Yes.

“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she tells People, pointing out a time in the '80s when she had been “down for several months with female issues.

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago," Parton states.

"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 notoriously workaholic star hasn't been slowing down much amid her health concerns. While she's not touring anymore, she's working on an "avatar experience" for fans who still want to experience her music live.

She's also opening a hotel and a museum in Nashville, rolling out a new coffee line called Cup of Ambition and working on a musical based on her life.