Dolly Parton Neglected Her Own Health While Caring for Husband Carl Dean
Dolly Parton has taken a step back from the public eye as she deals with health complications. Parton cancelled a series of performances and has accepted awards virtually rather than attending ceremonies. She recently gave fans an update on her wellbeing, explaining that she neglected her own health while she cared for her husband, Carl Dean.
Dolly Parton said her health suffered while caring for her husband
Dean was Parton’s husband of close to 60 years. When his health declined, she dedicated herself to taking care of him. She recently admitted that she has been going through “hard times with my health” because she didn’t take care of herself during this time. She is now dealing with kidney stones.
“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she told People.
Dean died in March 2025; since then, Parton has been dealing with health issues. These have forced her to take a step back from the public eye. Still, she said her fans should not worry.
“It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said. “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’.”
Dolly Parton gave fans an update on her health after she missed an appearance
Parton recently opened a new ride at Dollywood virtually. She explained that her doctor didn’t want her to travel.
“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. And I’m dehydrated,” she said in a video posted to social media. “So my Nashville doctor has 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.”
Parton is still planning to open a Life of Many Colors Museum and a SongTeller Hotel in Nashville.
She told fans that it will be a while before she gets back on a stage
While Parton is making virtual appearances, it will likely take time before she is ready to get on a stage again.
“Now, the bad news is, 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,” she said in a video. “And of course, I can’t be dizzy carrying around banjos, guitars, and such on five-inch heels, and you know that I’m going to be wearing them. Not to mention all those heavy, rhinestone outfits, the big hair, my big personality.”
Still, Parton said she has no plans to retire.
