Dolly Parton Addresses 'Hard Times With My Health': 'I'm Still Healin’'

Dolly Parton addressed some of her recent "health issues" in a new update.

Parton, 80, explained that she's endured health issues before, and recently, she's been "dealing with some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over Carl." Her husband of nearly six decades, Carl Dean, died in March 2025. He was 82. The beloved country star told PEOPLE in a recent update that "it's not like I haven't been through hard times with my health. But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn't years ago. 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'."

Parton first opened up about her health in September 2025. She said at that time that she'd "had a little problem," explaining that a kidney stone had "given me an infection. …Don't worry about me. I'm gonna be OK." She reiterated as she addressed rumors online, "I'm OK. …I figured if you heard it from me, you'd know that I was OK."

Parton has since shared health updates, including at times that she had to cancel or miss events. She said when she canceled her Vegas residency earlier this year that "it's gonna take me a little while before I'm up to stage-performance level, because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit 'swimmy-headed,' as my grandma used to say." Parton said when she missed a Dollywood event earlier this month, "sometimes I get a little dizzy and I get dehydrated. And I'm dehydrated. …(But) all is going well on the medical end of things." Though she didn't address her health at the time, Parton recently accepted an award at the 19th Academy of Country Music Honors via pre-recorded video message. Parton shared "a very special thank you," and said "every dream I ever had and all the dreams that I've been able to see come true in life, well they all started with a song."

Parton is keeping busy as she focuses on her health. Her autobiographical musical is set to open on Broadway in New York City after its premiere in Nashville last year. She also caught up with PEOPLE about her upcoming SongTeller Hotel and Life of Many Colors Museum opening in Nashville, telling the outlet, "I am so proud of this. …(We made) it really special."