Charisma Madarang
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - JANUARY 28: Dolly Parton performs during "Dolly: An Original Musical" fireside chat and press conference at The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts on January 28, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images) Getty Images Dolly Parton shared an update on Friday amid ongoing health issues following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, who died in March 2025.
When speaking to People, Parton said, “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.” “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said, noting that in the early 1980s she was “down for several months with female issues.” Parton pointed to today’s “24/7 world with social media” and how it magnifies every incident in “ways it wasn’t years ago.”
In true Parton fashion, she quipped, “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!” On a more serious note, she added, “Even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”
Parton told the outlet that she’s also looking at ways to bring fans new experiences. The singer said that she’s currently working with companies to create “avatar performances” and they are still in the “early stages of development.”
On Thursday, Parton appeared virtually to accept the Poet’s Award at the Academy of Country Music Awards, one of multiple recent events the country legend joined remotely (she was never scheduled to attend the ACM Honors to appear in person).
