August 22, 2026:

Published
Dolly Parton is sharing an update on her well-being as she continues to work through some “health issues.”
The country superstar told PEOPLE Friday she’s “dealing with some health issues” that she ignored while her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, was ill. He died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
Dolly noted she’s “been through hard times” with her health before … and she’s still working plenty while “healin’.”
She theorized “everything gets magnified” in the “24/7 world with social media,” joking … “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 A.I.!”
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Her high-spirited update comes after she missed an in-person appearance scheduled at her Dollywood amusement park to celebrate its newest ride, NightFlight Expedition, about a week ago. Instead, she appeared via video and informed parkgoers that doctors had advised her against traveling to East Tennessee for the event after she had experienced dehydration and occasional dizziness.
And as we reported, Dolly suffered from kidney stones and an infection last fall, which forced her to delay and then cancel her planned Las Vegas residency.

But Dolly’s still got plenty going on — she recently announced a Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum, which is slated for an October opening in her Nashville hotel, Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel. Plus, she’s currently developing an official line of dog treats in partnership with Purina.
Dolly’s “9 to 5” certainly seems like it’s going well, despite her health obstacles!