Dolly Parton Hid Cancer Battle From ‘A Lot of Family,’ Not Just Fans: ‘She Did Not Want People Sad’ and ‘Could Not Bear Negative Things’

Sep 9, 2026 10:37am PT Dolly Parton Hid Cancer Battle From ‘A Lot of Family,’ Not Just Fans: ‘She Did Not Want People Sad’ and ‘Could Not Bear Negative Things’

By Zack Sharf

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Zack Sharf

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton attends the 51st Academy of Country Music Awards at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 3, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images)

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Dolly Parton‘s sister Stella told “CBS Mornings” in a new interview that the country music icon hid her cancer battle not only from fans but also from “a lot of family” because she did not want her legacy tainted with sadness. Parton died in Nashville on Aug. 25 at 80 years old. The singer’s representative later confirmed her death followed a “brief battle” with cancer. The news came as a shock to both Parton’s friends and family.

“Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear negative things,” Stella told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. “She would not have wanted her fans worried about it… She didn’t want a lot of the family worried about it. Some of us knew, the ones that were closer, but not every relative.”