DOLLY PARTON'S NIECE JADA STAR OPENS UP ON THE ICON'S FINAL DAYS: "JUST A SHOCK"
Dolly Parton's niece, singer-songwriter Jada Star, gave an exclusive interview to Extra's Mona Kosar Abdi this week, offering the family's first detailed account of the days surrounding Parton's death and explaining why her health struggles were kept so tightly guarded.
Parton died on Aug. 25, 2026, at age 80, following what her publicist described as a brief battle with cancer. Star, the daughter of Parton's younger sister Freida, told Extra that even though the family was aware Parton had been dealing with serious health issues, her actual passing still caught them off guard. She said her aunt's death still came as a shock despite everyone's awareness of her declining condition.
Star explained that the family made a deliberate decision to keep Parton's hospitalizations and health struggles private, saying that her aunt never wanted to worry anybody. That instinct to shield fans from the full picture, Star said, is part of why the news landed so hard for the public when it finally came.
Reflecting on the week since Parton's death, Star described the period as difficult and surreal, but also bittersweet, pointing to the outpouring of tributes from around the world as something that has helped the family cope. She recalled that she could not remember a life without her aunt in it, and shared a piece of advice Parton often repeated to her before performances: to stop worrying about what other people think.
Star also spoke about the Grand Ole Opry's tribute to Parton on Aug. 29, its first show since her death, calling it an emotional night with hardly a dry eye in the building. The night closed with several Opry members joining together on stage for a rendition of Parton's "9 to 5."
Parton's sister, Stella Parton, separately revealed on Facebook that Dolly had offered in her final days to let her medical team try experimental drugs on her in hopes of helping future cancer patients, even without hope for her own recovery, urging fans wishing to honor her legacy to show kindness and give more of their time and resources to others.