Dolly Parton has shared another update after recently missing a major Dollywood event.
The country singer has cut back on some public appearances over the past year, with health issues affecting several planned events.
Earlier this month, Parton was due to appear at Dollywood for the opening of NightFlight Expedition. Instead, she sent a video message after doctors advised her not to travel.
@walruscarp Dolly Partonās Speech for NightFlight Expedition with great news about her health. She was missed but thank you Miss Dolly for such a great park and new attraction! #dollyparton #dollywood #dollywoodthemepark #nightflightexpedition #pigeonforge
Parton said she sometimes feels “a little dizzy” and can become dehydrated. She joked that her doctor had “kind of clipped my wings” and told her: “You ain’t travelin’ this week, you ain’t travelin’ this week.”
Now, she has spoken more about the health problems she has been dealing with.
Dolly Parton Shares New Health Update
Speaking to PEOPLE, Parton said she has been going through some “hard times with my health.”
She also said some health issues went overlooked while she was caring for her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, who died in 2025 at the age of 82.
Parton said she was “dealing with some health issues that I just didnāt pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”
She did not share any further details about her condition.
Parton added that health problems are not new for her, but suggested that social media has made public interest in them much more intense.
“It’s not like I havenāt been through hard times with my health,” she says. “But I think because we live in a 24/7 world with social media, everything gets magnified in ways it wasn’t years ago.”
She continued: “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 Iām still healinā, Iām still workin’.”
Parton has already suggested that traditional touring is likely behind her.
However, she is still working on new projects, including early plans for “avatar performances.”
She is also preparing Dolly’s Life of Many Colors Museum in Nashville.
The museum is described as the “largest exhibit celebrating her life anywhere in the world” and will focus on Parton’s career and personal memories.
Her recent Dollywood absence was not the first time health issues have stopped her from appearing at the park.
In September 2025, Parton was expected to attend the reveal of NightFlight Expedition.
She appeared by prerecorded video instead after a kidney stone caused an infection and her doctor advised her not to travel.
Dolly Parton Has Missed Several Recent Events
Parton has also been absent from several events outside Dollywood.
In November 2025, she did not attend in person to receive the Academy’s Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award.
That same month, she missed her IAAPA Hall of Fame induction in Orlando.
Her planned Dolly: Live in Las Vegas residency was also affected.
The six-show run was originally planned for December 2025 before being moved to September 2026. It was later canceled while Parton continued receiving medical treatment and recovering.
Five days after missing the NightFlight Expedition dedication, Parton also skipped the ACM Honors in Nashville.
She accepted the Poet’s Award virtually instead.
Parton has still made some appearances in person.
In March, she visited Dollywood and spoke to season passholders and media about NightFlight Expedition.
At the time, it was described as her first public appearance in months.
She also attended the June opening of the first Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop.
There is currently no indication that Parton plans to step away from Dollywood.
The singer has co-owned the Pigeon Forge theme park with Herschend since 1986 and remains closely connected to its attractions and future projects.
Guests can explore the Dolly Parton Experience, which includes Songteller, fashion exhibit Behind the Seams, and family-focused Precious Memories.
The park also features Dolly’s Tennessee Mountain Home, a recreation of her childhood home on Locust Ridge.
Elsewhere, Heartsong is narrated by Parton, while DreamSong regularly features members of her family performing her music.
Parton also has another major Tennessee project opening soon.
Dolly Parton’s SongTeller Hotel is expected to open in Nashville in September, although it is not yet clear whether she will attend the opening in person.
For now, Parton has made it clear that she is still working, even while dealing with her health.
As she told PEOPLE, “Even though Iām still healinā, Iām still workin’.”
