Dolly Parton warned to ‘take it easy’ as ‘health challenges’ force her to miss another event

Dolly Parton’s recent “health challenges” forced her to miss another big event this week as she continues to “take it easy” following advice from her doctors.

On Monday, the “Jolene” singer was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) in recognition of her role in creating Dollywood Parks & Resorts.

However, like her last few scheduled appearances, Dolly was a no-show due to her ongoing health issues and apologized for her absence while explaining why she decided to accept the prize remotely. 

“Well, hey there, it’s Dolly, and I sure wish I could be with you in person today, but you probably heard that I’ve been dealing with a few health challenges this fall,” Dolly began in a video shared on Instagram.

“And my doctors told me to take it easy for just a little while. And I’m truly sorry I can’t be there, but I sure wanted to take the chance to say thank you for this incredible honor.”

This isn’t the first big event Dolly has missed out on due to her health. In September 2025, Dolly was forced to withdraw from an appearance at Dollywood to announce the latest attraction coming to the theme park.

Explaining the reason for her absence, Dolly said in a video: “I had a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems, turned out it’d given me an infection, and the doctor said, ‘You don’t need to be traveling right this minute, so you need a few days to get better.'”

“Kidney stones can cause severe pain, often described as one of the most intense sensations a person can experience, typically in the side of the abdomen, back, or groin,” Dr Raj Arora of The Facebible told HELLO!

“Kidney stones can also obstruct urine flow, leading to symptoms such as frequent urination, painful urination, or blood in the urine (haematuria),” Dr Raj added.  “In severe cases, if not treated, stones can lead to kidney damage or even kidney failure.” 

Shortly after, Dolly announced on Instagram that due to her “health challenges,” she would be postponing her Las Vegas residency. 

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She said: “As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures.

“Given this, I am not going to be able to rehearse and put together the show that I want you to see, and the show that you deserve to see.

“And don’t worry about me quittin’ the business,” she added, “because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet. But, I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures with all of you.”

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Worried fans expressed their concern for Dolly after her sister, Freida Parton, put a message on Facebook, asking for prayers as she confirmed Dolly “hasn’t been feeling her best.”

This forced Dolly to put out another statement, with her insisting, “I ain’t dead yet!” as she revealed she neglected her health after her late husband, Carl Dean’s, death in March 2025.

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“I want you to know that I’m okay,” Dolly said. “I let a lot of things go that I should’ve been taking care of. 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.”