Dolly Parton shared a health update during her first major public appearance in months, following the death of her husband Carl Thomas De.
The Jolene songstress spoke about her health and grief during a keynote on opening day at Dollywood on Friday, March 13, marking the park’s 41st season.
“I’ve not been touring, as you know," Parton said, as seen in footage of the speech shared by WVLT 8.
She went on to say, "I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them."
“I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” the country icon said, noting the loss of Dean, who she was married to for 58 years before his death on March 3, 2025 at 82.
Parton continued, “I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”
After joking that fans shouldn’t mistake Dollywood President Eugene Naughton for her “new husband,” she confirmed she isn’t dating anyone following Dean’s death.
“I think Carl Dean’s waiting for me," she said, adding, "If I should show up at the pearly gates with somebody else, he would not like that. He’d be saying, ‘Who’s that little pisser? You leave him outside the gates.' ”
Notably, Dolly Parton postponed her Las Vegas residency due to an unspecified illness in October 2025.
Earlier in September 2025, she mentioned that she had been having issues with kidney stones.
