“She did not want people sad”: Dolly Parton’s sister Stella reveals why the late singer hid cancer battle from fans and some family members
“She did not want people sad”: Dolly Parton’s sister Stella reveals why the late singer hid cancer battle from fans and some family members
Shatakshi Gupta Thu, September 10, 2026 at 4:26 AM UTC
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On September 9, Stella Parton revealed why Dolly Parton kept her health condition a secret from fans and her other family members. During an interview with CBS Mornings, Stella told Gayle King that the late music icon didn’t want her fans to hear ‘negative’ things. She said:
“Well, Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear uh negative things and she would not have wanted her fans uh worried about it. She didn't want a lot of the family worried about it. Some of us knew, the ones of us that were closer, but not the whole family knew.”
Stella went on to say that Dolly Parton did not want her fans and family members sad due to her illness. The Jolene singer knew that her family loved her, so she kept her health struggles from them, Stella added.
“She did not want people sad. She'd be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love because she knew that would make us feel better as her family because, bottom line, end of the day, her family and Carl's family and probably Judy's family are the people that she would want to say, Well, see, they, you know, everything I did, you know, they cared. You know, they really loved me.”
For those unaware, Dolly Parton died on August 25 after struggling with a cancer battle. She reportedly battled cancer for over a year before passing away at the age of 80, without revealing her illness to her fans.
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Dolly Parton let her doctors try new medicines on her to help others
Earlier on August 27, Stella revealed that the late singer permitted her medical team to use experimental drugs on her in the hope of helping others. In her long note, Stella wrote:
“My sister was one of the most generous, thoughtful and kind people I've ever known. 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.”
Before her death, Dolly Parton canceled her Las Vegas Residency shows and even her appearance at a Dollywood event amid health issues.
Besides, Dolly was a philanthropist who made several contributions to a children’s hospital, COVID-19 research, wildfires, and more. She donated a million dollars for kids’ cancer care. Parton also gave another million dollars to build LeConte Medical Center.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
