Dolly Parton addresses health concerns sparked by her sister: “I’m not dying”

A day later, Dolly, 79, reassured everyone in a video shared on social media that she’s fine and there’s no need to worry.

Dolly Parton wants her fans to know that she’s doing well despite recent health concerns. The country music legend’s sister, Freida, recently asked fans to pray for her, saying she had been “up all night praying” because Dolly wasn’t feeling her best.

A day later, Dolly, 79, reassured everyone in a video shared on social media that she’s fine and there’s no need to worry.

Speaking from the set while filming commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, the “9 to 5” singer said, “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here! I just wanted to put everyone’s mind at ease. I really appreciate your concern and your prayers — I’m a person of faith, and I can always use prayers — but I want you to know that I’m okay.”

Dolly explained that some of her health issues stemmed from the time when her husband, Carl Dean, was ill. The two were married for 58 years before Carl passed away on March 3 at the age of 82. “Back when my husband Carl was very sick, that went on for a long time, and after he passed, I didn’t take care of myself the way I should have,” she said.

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“So when I finally went to the doctor, they told me we needed to take care of a few things. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some plans so I could stay close to home and to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], where I’m having a few treatments here and there. But I want you to know — I’m not dying.”

She also laughed off an AI-generated photo that had been circulating online showing her on her “deathbed” with Reba McEntire, joking that if she really were dying, McEntire probably wouldn’t be sitting by her side.

“There are just a lot of rumors going around,” she said. “But I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know I was okay. I’m not ready to die yet — I don’t think God is through with me, and I’m not done working. I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.”

Also read: Dolly Parton's sister Freida Parton urges fans to pray for the singer amidst health concerns

Freida later clarified her Facebook post, saying she didn’t mean to alarm anyone. “I didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious,” she wrote, adding that she simply wanted fans to keep her sister in their prayers.

Just a few days earlier, on September 28, Dolly had announced that she was postponing several of her Las Vegas residency dates to undergo “a few procedures” and because she wouldn’t have enough time to rehearse properly.