Though the public was shocked by entertainment icon Dolly Parton’s death at 80 on August 25, 2026, her younger sister Stella, 77, says the country music icon was “prepared” to go, after secretly battling cancer.
On September 10, during her interview with Gayle King on “CBS Mornings,” Stella shared new details about Dolly’s health, noting that she’s relieved her big sister is no longer “struggling, in pain.”
Dolly Parton’s Sister Stella Says She ‘Knew Where She Was Going’
Over the last year, Dolly was forced to cancel multiple appearances due to health issues that she explained publicly as “kidney stones” and “digestive issues.” After her death, her family confirmed that she died of cancer, but they’ve refrained from sharing what kind.
When King asked for an explanation from Stella, who talked on the phone with Dolly every Tuesday, she said, “Well, that was her business….she didn’t tell us that we could say it, so out of respect for her, I can talk about my love for her and describe who she is to me, but it’s not my business to tell her business.”
While Dolly always appeared jovial and hopeful in her appearances, which Stella said was truly her personality, her sister acknowledged that life had grown harder for Dolly with her health challenges and since losing her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.
“Her optimism is what I’m going to miss the most because she was the most optimistic person I ever knew, and I’m going to miss that,” Stella told King. “I don’t miss her struggling, in pain.”
When King asked if she was “at peace” at the time of her death, Stella replied, “I know she was at peace. Because I could always tell by looking at her face, even if I hadn’t seen her in months. On camera, I could tell if she was hurt, angry, happy, or sad, or felt bad. I could see it on her. She’s my sister, you know. We were very close as a family.”
“She knew where she was going,” Stella continued. “She wasn’t going anywhere bad. She was going to be with mom and daddy. … She was definitely prepared.”
Stella Parton Thinks Her Sister Dolly’s Health Challenges Stemmed From Overworking Herself
GettyWhen King asked whether Stella thought her big sister died of a broken heart, as many have suggested given her husband’s death a year prior, she answered, “I think she was very sad, but I don’t think that’s why she got sick.”
“I think she worked too hard and didn’t maybe take as good of care of herself as she should have,” Stella continued.
When King noted that Dolly had previously said she’d avoided taking care of her own health while being a caretaker for Dean, Stella said, “I know their relationship was very unique and very deep, and loyal, and I think it broke her heart to see him the shape he, you know, got to before he passed away. But I don’t think that’s what made her sick.”
“I think my sister worked so hard for so long, and just kept going,” Stella continued. “You know, even to the last conversation I had with her, she was working. That was her passion.”
Dolly Parton Wasn’t Happy About Sister Freida Asking the Public for Prayers in 2025
GettyWhile it’s not known when Dolly was first diagnosed with cancer, her and Stella’s younger sister Freida asked the public to pray for Dolly in October 2025, revealing that she’d been “up all night praying” for her. But she quickly walked back her comments the next day, sharing that Dolly wasn’t seriously ill but simply “under the weather.” Curious if the family knew more at that point in Dolly’s health journey, King asked Stella how their famous sister reacted to Freida’s request.
“I think Dolly got onto Freida about that,” Stella said. “I don’t know, because I haven’t asked Freida because it was very touchy about all that stuff. I didn’t want to hurt Freida’s feelings and I didn’t want to mention it to Dolly. But I’m pretty sure Dolly said, ‘You gotta, you know, pipe it down.’ She knew that Freida was just upset and hurt, but she thought, ‘Don’t be telling my situation, you know, Freida. Don’t be spilling my business.'”
Stella did note that Dolly hinted at the seriousness of her condition when she made her final public appearance via a video rather than showing up at Dollywood as planned, for its August 14 unveiling of a new ride. She told attendees, “My little butterfly wings are getting kinda tired.”
Dolly tried to explain her absence by sharing, “I’ve told you before, all my fans, that I’ve had a few little health issues, and sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated. Now I’m dehydrated, and so my Nashville doctor kind of clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’ So I guess if your doctor tells you you ain’t traveling this week, you ain’t traveling this week!”
