Dolly Parton kept her cancer diagnosis secret from many of her relatives because she did not want fans or family to worry, her sister Stella Parton revealed.
The Queen of Country died at age 80 on August 25 following months of mysterious health struggles that saw her cancel a string of public appearances.
Her family later announced that the singer had been privately battling cancer, though they did not disclose the specific strain of the disease.
Speaking to Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Stella Parton, 77, shed light on her sister's choice to remain discreet about her medical condition.
She shared that Parton "did not want anybody to tell" her public "because Dolly could not bear negative things and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it."
Parton also "didn't want a lot of family worried about it," Stella explained, noting that while "some of us knew, the ones of us that were closer," it was "not every relative."
The Daily Mail contacted a representative for Parton for comment regarding the disclosures.
Stella insisted that Parton "did not want people sad and she did not want people worried."
She added that her sister would be "really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love because she knew that that would make us feel better as her family."
The "bottom line," Stella said, was that Parton wanted her family, the relatives of her late husband Carl Dean, and "probably" her best friend Judy Ogle to know how much she was loved, saying: "Well, see? Everything I did, they cared. They really loved me!"
Family Details and Final Days
Two days after her sister passed away, Stella shared a Facebook post revealing the generosity of spirit Parton maintained during her final decline.
Stella wrote: "What the world saw is exactly who she was, so much so, she told me recently that if there was no hope for her, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in the hope of helping others in the future."
Parton died four days after being admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, according to a report by TMZ.
Family members began racing to Nashville after learning of her hospitalization, though not all were able to reach her bedside before she died.
Parton's death was confirmed on the day she died in an Instagram video posted by her nephew Bryan Seaver, who also worked as her head of security.
Seaver revealed that the video announcement was something Parton had requested of him years earlier before he fully absorbed it as a future reality.
He praised his aunt for having "lived in the light" and said she was now "in the arms of Jesus" alongside her husband, her parents, and "countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens."
Seaver also shared Parton's personal request for her resting place, relaying her wish "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."
Burial Alongside Her Husband
Three days after her death, an intimate group of loved ones including Seaver gathered at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville.
Seaver had previously disclosed that Parton would be interred in high heels inside the same mausoleum housing the remains of her husband.
Parton's niece later confirmed that the country music legend had been "laid to rest" at some point that day.
Her husband, Carl Dean, died at age 82 of undisclosed causes in March 2025, two months before what would have been their 59th wedding anniversary.
Six Decades of Country Music Success
Parton enjoyed a career in music spanning six decades, gaining international fame with iconic hit songs including Jolene, 9 to 5, and I Will Always Love You.
The fourth of 12 children, six of whom are still living, Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee, on January 19, 1946, and raised in the Great Smoky Mountains.
In an interview published by People magazine just four days before her death, Parton declared she still had "so many things I want to achieve" and vowed to keep "working as long as I can to see everything come to life."
She explained in the interview that she had been grappling with "some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over Carl."
Health Concerns and Postponed Shows
Public concern for Parton's health had mounted since late September 2025, when she announced on Instagram that unspecified health challenges required her to undergo several procedures.
The medical issues forced her to postpone her Las Vegas residency from December 2025 to September 2026.
Fears grew further in early October 2025 when her younger sister Freida Parton urged fans on Facebook to pray for the star.
Freida wrote on October 7, 2025: "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."
As public panic spread, Freida clarified her remarks, assuring fans her sister had been "a little under the weather" and that she never intended to "make it sound so serious."
To reassure fans, Parton posted a video showing herself in full hair, makeup, and costume on the set of an advertisement shoot for the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.
Asking fans "Do I look sick to you?", Parton said: "I appreciate your prayers, because I'm a person of faith, I can always use the prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I'm okay!"
