Over the past few months, fears have grown for the health of the 80 year-old country music legend Dolly Parton. These concerns were spurred at the end of September when Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency from December of 2025 to September of 2026 due to health issues.
Last week, we reported that Parton had canceled her Las Vegas residency altogether because of these health struggles. Now, insiders are revealing sad details about Parton’s “crippling” health issues.
Parton Struggling With Husband’s Death
Parton’s husband Carl Dean tragically passed away in March of 2025 at the age of 82. He and Parton had been married for nearly 60 years at the time of his death. Sources close to Parton say that Dean’s passing has had a massive impact on the “Jolene” singer. Indeed, it has sadly been a key factor in her health deterioration.
“The life she lives now without him is crippled in comparison,” an insider told Daily Mail. “To know that she will never be the same absolutely has affected her deeply. Emotionally, personally, physically, it all has taken a toll. This loss will and has forever changed her. And is a main reason that she has had health issues as of late.”
The source went on to say that after Dean’s death, Parton “was not eating right, not doing the things she usually would do for her continued health. And she let things slip.”
Parton’s ‘Left Some Things In God’s Hands’
Parton has long been known for living life to the fullest, famously “approaching it with her foot on the gas pedal.” However, in the wake of Dean’s passing, Parton is struggling to regain her spark.
“She has given herself various amounts of time to grieve and may have not grieved enough and has left some things in God’s hands,” the insider continued. The source added that Parton is “still trying to figure it all out.”
“When Carl died, that was the first time brakes were applied and reality set in. And she didn’t know how to handle it,” the insider lamented.
When Parton tried to push forward with her work, and “attempted to restart the clock… some health issues came along to disrupt matters,” according to the source.
Parton was only 18 years-old when she met Dean at a Nashville laundromat back in 1964. They married two years later in 1966. While Parton appreciates all the support she’s been getting from fans since Dean’s death, it’s still not enough.
“Knowing Carl for decades and being the most important person in her life, now that he is gone, as much as she can take comfort in other family members and fans having her back, it is never the same,” the insider explained.
Parton Talks Dean
Parton announced the cancelation of her Las Vegas residency in an emotional video shared to social media on Monday, May 4. In that video, she made it clear that Dean’s death had played a major role in her decision to cancel the residency.
“I want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that,” Parton said in the video as she held back tears. “After going through a year of firsts – I mean the holidays, and especially on our wedding anniversary, and the day of his death March 3, you know, that was hard for me.”
“But I will always love him and I’ll always miss him,” she continued. “But you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time. Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers.”
Parton Cancels Las Vegas Residency
Parton then addressed her health by admitting that she’s “always had problems with my kidney stones.” However, she added that over the past few years, her immune and digestive systems “got all out of whack.” Parton explained that they need to be “rebuilt and strengthened.”
“The good news is I’m responding really well to meds and treatments and I’m improving every day,” Parton emphasized. “Now, the bad news is, it’s gonna take me a little while before I’m up to stage performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit ‘swimmy-headed’ as my grandma used to say. And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars and such on five-inch heels. And you know that I’m going to be wearing them!”
Parton then said that while she “has some healing to do,” she also has great doctors.”
“I’m doing really well and they assure me that everything I have is treatable, so I’m going with that,” Parton assured her fans.
Check out Parton’s full video for yourself below.
Parton Trying ‘To Figure It Out’
The insider close to Parton backed up the country music icon’s claims about her health.
“As she has recently mentioned, these health issues aren’t life-threatening; they just have to be dealt with,” the source concluded. “She continues to try to figure it out because she wants to live her life, but she also wants to continue to represent the person she became when Carl was in her life. She just has to treat herself right again.”
Parton is a true living legend, and there will never be another like her. Please join us in saying a prayer for her as she rightfully takes the time to focus on her health and grief.
God bless you, Dolly Parton!