The world knew Dolly Parton for her openness, humor, and larger-than-life personality, but in her final health battle, the country legend made a very different choice. Her niece, Jada Star, is now explaining why Dolly kept her cancer diagnosis within the family before her death on Tuesday, August 25.
Dolly, 80, never wanted the people who loved her to carry the weight of what she was going through, Jada told Extra in an interview shared Tuesday, September 1.
Why Did Dolly Parton Keep Her Cancer Diagnosis Private?
“She never wanted to worry anybody,” Jada said. “You know, we kind of kept all that stuff real private.” Jada, 47, said family members knew more about Dolly’s health struggles than the public, but the singer’s death was still difficult to comprehend.
The family was aware of Dolly’s cancer diagnosis, which was not publicly disclosed before her death.
Her representatives later confirmed to People that she died following a brief battle with cancer. The specific type of cancer has not been revealed.
Jada described losing her aunt as a “shock.” While millions knew Dolly as a global superstar behind songs including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You,” Jada said the loss felt very different inside the family.
“I can’t remember a life without her,” she said.
How Is Dolly Parton’s Family Coping With Her Death?
The enormous response from fans has offered some comfort during an otherwise painful time. “It’s also been really bittersweet because of this beautiful opportunity we’ve had to see how much the whole world loves her,” Jada said. “So, all of these tributes have helped so much to help us all through it.”
Jada also knows her aunt would not want the family to remain consumed by grief. “She would also tell us to start drying it up and start trying to get back to work,” she joked. “And to love each other real hard. Yeah, she was just a trip.”
How Did Jada Star Honor Dolly Parton?
Jada found her own way to return to work just four days after Dolly’s death. On Saturday, August 29, she took the stage during the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute to her aunt and performed “The Orchard,” a song she recorded with Dolly for the 2024 family album “Smoky Mountain DNA: Family, Faith and Fables.”
“I hope that she would have been real proud,” Jada told Extra.
The singer said Dolly had always encouraged her when nerves or self-doubt crept in. “She had a different set of advice for every single person on the earth. And for me, my advice I frequently got was, ‘Why are you worried about what other people think?'”
What Did Jada Star Feel During the Grand Ole Opry Tribute?
Those words stayed with Jada as she stepped onto one of country music’s most famous stages without her aunt. “I just thought of that when I was out there,” she said. Jada added that she could feel Dolly’s light “everywhere” during the performance.
The tribute also featured Carly Pearce, Kathy Mattea, Ketch Secor, Molly Tuttle and others before the performers gathered for “9 to 5,” with Jelly Roll making a surprise appearance.
For Jada, the night offered another reminder that while her family is grieving Dolly privately, they are sharing that loss with generations of fans who loved her too.
