The world is still mourning the loss of country music icon Dolly Parton. The "Jolene" creator passed away in August at age 80.
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Parton's Sister Weighs In On Her Death
Parton's sister, Stella Parton, recently appeared on CBS Mornings for an interview with Gayle King. King asked Stella if the death of Parton's longtime husband Carl Dean in March 2025 played a role in her passing. Suggesting that she could have died from a "broken heart." But Stella said that she thought Dolly's intense work ethic often led her to neglect her health.
"She was very sad, but I don't think she — I don't think that's why she got sick," she said as caught by PEOPLE. "I think she worked too hard and didn't maybe take as good of care of herself as she should have"
Stella also added that Dolly was heartbroken to see Carl in the condition that he was before he ultimately passed away.
"I know their relationship was very unique and very deep and loyal," she said. "And I think it broke her heart to see him in the shape that he got to before he passed away."
But ultimately, she doesn't believe that is what made Parton sick:
"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. Even in my last conversation with her, she was working. That was her passion.
In a statement following her passing, reps for the country music star revealed that she passed away in August. After a "brief battle with cancer." However, they do not go into detail about what type of cancer the star had been diagnosed with.
Following Parton's passing, one of her closest friends, Cher, said she understood Dolly's decision to keep things private.
"No matter what was happening, she was either going to go with it, or it was going to get better," Cher said (via Entertainment Weekly). "She just had a spirit, and it was a spirit that was always thinking the best was happening, the best was going to happen. Her friends loved her; her life was good, you know? That's who she was."
