Dolly Parton Breaks Silence on Health Battles, Shoots Down Death Rumors: “I’m Not Ready to Die Yet”

Dolly Parton “ain’t dead yet.”

The superstar performer took to Instagram on Wednesday to offer an update on the health challenges that caused her to cancel a planned Las Vegas residency and an appearance at November’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 16th Governors Awards, where she was set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. The out-of-character cancellations caused the rumor mill to whip into overdrive and Parton addressed the swirl directly by sharing a video of herself recorded today on set of a commercial shoot for the Grand Ole Opry.

“As I mentioned back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taken care of,” Parton said in addressing the passing of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in March. “So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘We need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, you know, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there.”

She didn’t elaborate on those treatments or the source of the health challenges but did say that she’s far from ready to give up. “I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”

Her full comments are below.

“I want to say something. Well, today’s October the 8th, and obviously I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kind of like a country western girl. But before I got started, I wanted to say, I know lately, everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here. Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate, and I appreciate your prayers because I’m a person of faith. I can always use prayers for anything and everything, but I want you to know that I’m OK. I’ve got some problems. As I mentioned back when my husband Carl was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed, I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taken care of. So anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said, ‘We need to take care of this. We need to take care of that.’ Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home, closer to Vanderbilt, you know, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there. But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying. Did you see that AI picture of Reba and me? Oh, lordy! I mean, they had Reba at my deathbed, and we both look like we need to be buried. I thought, oh, my Lord. But if I was really dying, I don’t think Reba would be the one at my deathbed. She might come visit me earlier. But anyway, they’re just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me, you’d know that I was OK. So anyhow, that’s what I wanted to say, and I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me, and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring and keep praying for me.”