Dolly Parton has shared a health update with fans amid ongoing issues in the wake of her late husband’s passing.

• READ MORE: The NME Big Read – Dolly Parton: “I take care of business”

The country icon was married to Carl Dean for 58 years before his death last March, and has been open about how her grief has also impacted her physical health, saying she felt “worn down and worn out” earlier this year.

“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she told People on Friday (August 21). “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,” she said, noting that in the early ’80s she was “down for several months with female issues”.

“But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago. 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!

“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.”

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Parton also told the outlet that she was looking into ways to bring fans new experiences, and said she was working alongside various companies to create “avatar performances”.

The update comes after Parton – who now ranks among the most popular public figures in America – was forced to cancel her upcoming Vegas residency. She had initially postponed a run of shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in October, saying at the time that she had been facing several ”health challenges” and would not be able to complete rehearsals in time.

The shows were originally scheduled for December 2025, before being postponed until December this year.

Sharing the root cause of her medical issues, she added: “I’ve told you before that I’ve always had problems with my kidney stones. Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee. But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past [couple of] years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those, and hopefully I’ll be up to snuff again soon.”

After postponing them last October, Parton’s sister Freida sparked fears when she posted on social media, asking fans to keep Dolly in their prayers.

“Last night, I was up all night praying for my sister, Dolly. Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” she wrote.

In a follow-up post, Freida clarified her original statement, saying she “didn’t mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious when asking for prayers for Dolly.”

Parton herself posted a video to reassure fans a few days later. “I know lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am,” she said in a video from the set of a Grand Ole Opry commercial. “Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here.”

In March, she made her first public appearance in several months, delivering a keynote speech at Dollywood. “I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over Carl and a lot of other little things going on,” she added, noting the loss of her husband Carl Dean, who she was married to for 58 years before his death last March.

“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.”