Dolly Parton has posted on social media that "I ain't dead yet!" after her sister raised concerns by saying she had been "up all night praying" for the country singer. The 79-year-old took to Instagram to set the record straight, sharing a video from the set of a commercial for the Grand Ole Opry where she looked better than ever in a red shirt with black detailing and black slacks. Dolly's blonde locks were up in her signature hairdo, and she wore a wide grin on her face.
The star beckoned the cameraman to come forward as she began to speak out about her health, noting that it was not pre-recorded before she fell ill. She began by telling fans that "lately everybody thinks that I am sicker than I am". She then challenged, "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," she continued. "I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I'm okay." The country superstar then revealed that her health problems surfaced after the death of her beloved husband, Carl Dean.
The couple were married for almost 60 years before he passed away in March 2025. "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’ve been taking care of," she said.
"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 [University Medical Center], where I'm kind of having a few treatments here and there, but I wanted you to know that I'm not dying."
Dolly clarified: "There's just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me, you'd know that I was okay. 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." She captioned the clip, "I ain't dead yet!"
Dolly's statement comes a day after her younger sister Frieda asked fans for their thoughts and prayers amid the "Jolene" singer's health battle. "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," Frieda wrote on social media.
"She's strong, she's loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she's going to be just fine. Godspeed, my sissy Dolly. We all love you!" Frieda later walked back on her comments, sharing that she "didn't mean to scare anyone or make it sound so serious".
Dolly has skipped several events in recent weeks while she recovers from her health problems, including from a kidney stone that sparked an infection. She was forced to postpone her Las Vegas residency until 2026 and was unable to attend an event at her Dollywood theme park while she received treatment.