Country music icon Dolly Parton kept her battle with cancer a secret until her final days because she didn’t want her fans or family members to worry about her, her younger sister Stella Parton said. Dolly, who died last month aged 80 after a short battle with cancer, reportedly chose to keep her health problems out of the public eye.In a new interview with CBS Mornings’ Gayle King on Wednesday, September 9, Stella, 77, explained that Dolly intentionally kept news of her illness a secret because she didn’t want to surround herself or those close to her with negativity.
Why Dolly Parton hid her cancer diagnosis
According to Stella, Dolly “didn’t want anyone to talk about it”: she was battling cancer because she couldn’t handle negativity and didn’t want her fans to worry.“Well, Dolly didn’t want anyone to talk about it because Dolly hated negative things and didn’t want her fans to worry about it,” Stella said. “She didn’t want most of the family to worry about it. Some of us knew, those who were closer, but not all the relatives.”Stella said her sister’s decision was based on her desire to protect the people she loved rather than hide her condition for personal reasons.Faced with the reality of her illness, Dolly “didn’t want people to be sad,” Stella explained.
Stella Parton says Dolly would be touched by public grief
While Dolly didn’t want her illness to cause sadness while she was alive, Stella believes the country music legend would have been deeply touched by the love and grief expressed by fans after her death.“She would be very happy and glad that people showed her so much love because she knew it would make us as her family feel better,” Stella said.She added that Dolly would like her family and those closest to her to recognize that her decades-long career has been about connecting with people and making them feel loved.“Bottom line, at the end of the day, her family, Carl’s family and maybe Judy’s family are the people that she would want to say, ‘See, everything I did, they cared.’ They really loved me,” Stella said, referring to Dolly’s late husband, Carl Dean, and her longtime best friend, Judy Ogle.
Dolly Parton wanted her illness to help others
Stella previously paid tribute to her older sister on Instagram, calling Dolly one of the most generous, caring and kind people she has ever known.According to Stella, Dolly’s compassion extended even into the final stages of her illness. She said her sister told her that if there was no hope for her recovery, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs if it could potentially help other patients in the future.“My sister was one of the most generous, caring and kind people I have ever known,” Stella wrote. “The world saw exactly who she was, so much so that she recently told me that if she had no hope, she would still allow her medical team to try experimental drugs in hopes of helping others in the future.”
Stella remembers Dolly Parton’s positive attitude
Stella also noted her sister’s famous positive nature and her ability to look beyond negativity.“Dolly loved this world and everyone in it,” Stella wrote. Recalling their conversations, she said that she sometimes criticized or complained about the world, and Dolly would laugh and tell her that they had “more important things to do” than worry about other people’s behavior.Stella described Dolly as a “positive influence” in a separate Instagram post and urged people to take inspiration from her life.“Use my sister’s life as an example of tolerance and respect for others,” she wrote, adding that people should focus less on “fake AI garbage” and negative comments on social media.
Nephew Brian Seaver announces Dolly Parton’s death
Dolly Parton’s death was announced by her nephew Brian Seaver on social media on Tuesday, August 25. In a video posted to Instagram, Seaver explained that Dolly asked him to make the announcement several years ago.Seaver said the video was “something Dolly asked me years ago before I fully realized it was a future reality.”With a career that spanned more than six decades, Dolly Parton left behind a legacy that extends far beyond country music. From her iconic songs and acting career to her philanthropy and decades of support for literacy and education, she has remained one of the most influential and beloved figures in American entertainment.