Dolly Parton was hospitalized for ‘kidney and autoimmune issues’ before death

Dolly Parton was reportedly hospitalized with “kidney and autoimmune issues” five days before her death.

The country music icon was admitted to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday night, according to TMZ.

The outlet reported that Parton died in the hospital on Tuesday morning.

Parton was open about her health struggles before her death at age 80.

In her final interview, published Friday, she told People she was “dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” referring to her husband Carl Dean, who died in March 2025 at age 82.

Parton also noted, “It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health.”

Earlier this month, Parton canceled a planned appearance at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, after a doctor ordered her not to travel due to ongoing “health issues.”

In a pre-recorded video shown at the event, Parton said, “Sometimes I get a little dizzy, and I get dehydrated. And so my Nashville doctor clipped my wings, saying, ‘You ain’t traveling this week.’”

The latest news on music icon Dolly Parton’s death at 80

Last September, Parton skipped another Dollywood appearance after she suffered from kidney stones.

“Turns out there was an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling around this minute, so you need a few days to get better,’” she told fans at the time. “So he suggested I not go to Dollywood today.”

Despite her health issues, Parton appeared in good spirts during her virtual showing at the Academy of Country Music Honors on Aug. 19, which marked her final appearance before her death.

The “9 to 5” star wore a long sleeve cream top and had her famous blond hair pinned in a messy updo.

“You know, I’ve been able to do many things throughout my life, but at my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively,” she said in the video.

Parton’s nephew and longtime head of security, Bryan Seaver, revealed her passing in an Instagram post on Tuesday.

Seaver explained that the tragic video announcement was “something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality.”

He also said the famous singer told him that she “wants to rest in a beautiful bed of plush cotton, because after a life wearing heavy rhinestones, she finally deserves to be comfortable and have some rest.”

Parton’s publicity team confirmed her passing on Tuesday in a statement to Page Six.

“A rhinestone life that shone bright enough for the world to see, Dolly will forever stand as an inspiration not only through her timeless music and prolific songwriting, but also her wit, warmth and kindness that made us all feel like family,” her reps said.