Dolly Parton shares heartfelt Thanksgiving message to her fans after health issues

1. Lifestyle

Parton recently missed several public events amid her health issues

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Dolly Parton has shared an emotional message with fans to celebrate Thanksgiving amid her ongoing health issues.

Dressed in a beige jacket with her signature curly blonde locks framing her face, Parton completed her look with multi-colored eye shadow, pink nails, and her warm smile.

“Well hey! It’s Dolly here, and I want to wish all of you and your family blessings this Thanksgiving,” she said. “I am so thankful for all of you and for the memories that we’ve shared through the years. So Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and just know that I will always love you.”

Parton’s latest video message to fans comes just over a week after the 79-year-old singer addressed missing her theme park Dollywood’s induction to the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame.

Parton — whose sister said she recently underwent treatment for kidney stones — noted to fans that while she wished she could be at the ceremony, she’s been “dealing with a few health challenges this fall.”

“My doctors told me to take it easy for just a little while, and I’m truly sorry I can’t be there,” she said in the clip. “I sure wanted to take the chance to say thank you for this incredible honor.”

Parton also missed the 16th Academy Governors Awards earlier this month, where she was honored with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. While Variety previously reported that Parton would miss Sunday’s ceremony for health reasons, her publicist told USA Today that there was a scheduling conflict and a virtual appearance was planned in advance.

Fans were concerned about Parton — who lost her longtime husband, Carl Dean, earlier this year — when she announced in September that she was postponing her Las Vegas residency to undergo a series of medical procedures. The residency, which was scheduled to run last month, will now go ahead from September 17 to September 26, 2026.

Later, Parton’s sister, Freida Parton, sparked viral concerns when she shared a Facebook post to ask fans to pray for Parton. She then clarified that she didn’t mean to scare anyone or give a grave impression with her message.

The “Jolene” singer then spoke up for herself, telling fans she appreciated their prayers and that she was doing “okay.”

“Back when my husband, Carl, was very sick, that was for a long time. 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 in an Instagram video shared last month.

“Nothing major but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home and closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center], you know, where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there.

“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,” Parton concluded.

“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.”

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