Dolly Parton Dies at 80 After Facing ‘Hard’ Health Struggles at Home

Music legend Dolly Parton has passed away at the age of 80 days after revealing that she had been dealing with undisclosed health issues at home.

Parton, whose husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025, is understood to have passed away in her hometown of Nashville, TN, where the couple lived for decades.

The news of Parton’s death was shared in an Instagram post shared on her personal account in which her nephew, Brian Seaver, announced her passing.

“My name is Brin Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” he said.

“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it til now.

Seaver went on to praise his aunt as someone who “lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others.” He did not share a cause of death.

A statement issued by Parton’s family noted that she “died peacefully” in Nashville on Aug. 25.

The news of her passing comes just days after Parton opened up to People magazine about her ongoing health issues, admitting to the outlet that she had failed to “pay attention” to her symptoms while she was busy caring for Dean in his final months.

“As I’ve shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she shared. “You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to manage something like this.

“Back in the early ’80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

However, Parton attempted to reassure fans about her health struggles, insisting that things shared on social media were not necessarily an accurate reflection of the reality she was dealing with.

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago,” she said. “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’! You know me—as I’ve often said—I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”

Concerns about Parton’s health were first raised in 2025 after she postponed her Las Vegas residency, however she was quick to insist in a video shared on her Instagram that fans shouldn’t worry about her wellbeing.

In the video, the singer said, “I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. I ain’t dead yet! Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here!”

She noted that she wanted to “put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned,” and while she had been dealing with “some problems” and has to undergo “some treatments,” she was “ok.”

Parton is understood to have been undergoing health treatments at her longtime home in Nashville, where she has lived since the age of 18—having moved to the city from a tiny town near the Great Smoky Mountains.

“Jolene” songstress Parton and her husband maintained a very private life; while the country music sensation became a global phenomenon, her husband, a former asphalt paver, preferred to stay away from the spotlight, holding down the fort at home while she traveled the world.

The couple met on the same day that the singer moved to Nashville, when they bumped into one another outside of the Wishy Washy Laundromat, according to the Associated Press.

Two years later, the couple tied the knot in a heartfelt ceremony in Ringgold, GA, and opted to stay out of the spotlight, tucking away at their ultraprivate Nashville home where they lived throughout the entirety of their marriage.

The couple spent their days in a five-bathroom property that sits on 63 acres and is informally known as Willow Lake Plantation. During their many years living there, they made several thoughtful updates to the property, including the addition of new barns and other structures.

This is a breaking news update, please check for updates.