Dolly Parton’s niece Jada Star shares emotional reason she kept cancer diagnosis private
Dolly Parton’s death may have come as a shock to millions, but her family knew the country icon had been facing serious health struggles behind the scenes.
The '9 to 5' singer died on 25 August at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement from her representative.
The type of cancer was not disclosed.
Her death was announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver in a video shared to Parton’s Instagram, with her family describing the loss as one filled with both pride and sadness.
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Now, Parton’s niece Jada Star has opened up about why her aunt chose to keep her diagnosis private.
"She never wanted to worry anybody," Jada told Extra in a new interview. "You know, we kind of kept all that stuff real private."
For Jada, the privacy was very much in keeping with who Dolly was. While the family knew about her health struggles and cancer diagnosis, her death still came as a 'shock'.
And while the world is mourning a global icon, Jada is grieving someone much closer to home.
"I can’t remember a life without her," she said.
The family has since found some comfort in the outpouring of love for Dolly, with tributes coming from fans, fellow stars and the wider country music community.
"It’s also been really bittersweet because of this beautiful opportunity we've had to see how much the whole world loves her," Jada explained. "So, all of these tributes have helped so much to help us all through it."
Naturally, Dolly also left her family with some very Dolly-esque instructions for what comes next.
"She would also tell us to start drying it up and start trying to get back to work," Jada joked. "And to love each other real hard. Yeah, she was just a trip."
Jada also honoured her aunt through music, joining the Grand Ole Opry’s tribute to Dolly last week (29 August) and performing 'The Orchard'.
She admitted she hoped Dolly would have been proud of the performance, especially given the advice her aunt had always given her.
"She had a different set of advice for every single person on the earth. And for me, my advice I frequently got was, 'Why are you worried about what other people think?'" Jada shared.
"I just thought of that when I was out there," she said, adding that she could feel her aunt’s light 'everywhere' during the performance.
A timeline of Dolly Parton's charity work
The country singer has been fondly remembered for her generosity and how much she gave back to local communities across the United States, as well as contributing to education, welfare and animal rights. Here's a list of everything she did to help others:
The Dollywood Foundation
In 1988, Parton originally launched the organisation in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, with the goal of decreasing secondary school drop out rates. She then launched the Buddy Program, which saw Parton give every seventh and eighth grader who finished high school $500.
Eagle Mountain Sanctuary at Dollywood
In 1991, the Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee partnered with the American Eagle Foundation (AEF) to open a 30,000-square-foot aviary that sheltered the largest collection of 'non-releasable' bald eagles.
This partnership 'helped introduce millions of Dollywood guests to America’s national symbol and to the importance of protecting bald eagles and other birds of prey', according to the AEF's website.
Imagination Library
In 1995, the Dollywood Foundation’s Imagination Library was founded and inspired by Parton’s father, who was unable to read. It began sending one book per month to each enrolled child in Sevier County from birth until their first year of school.
In 2025, it was announced that the Imagination Library gifted more than 40.3 million books, bringing the program’s total books gifted since its launch to more than 304.5 million.
The Dolly Parton Scholarship
According to the Dollywood Foundation, the scholarship - an annual award granting $15,000 (£11,000) each to five secondary school seniors in Sevier County, Tennessee - is awarded to those who 'have a dream they wish to pursue and who can successfully communicate their plan and commitment to realise their dreams'.
My People Fund
After previously working hard to aid wildfire relief in Tennessee in 2016, Parton launched the My People Fund, which provided $1,000 (£733) a month for six months to families whose homes were completely destroyed by the fires.
The fund also donated around $8.9 million (£6.5 million) to those in need.
$1 million donation to a children’s hospital
In 2017, Parton made the staggering donation to the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in honor of her niece, who was treated for leukemia at that hospital.
She made another $1 million donation to the same hospital in 2022, this time aiming to help pediatric infectious disease research.
Covid-19 vaccine donation efforts
Parton donated $1 million to coronavirus research at Vanderbilt University, which helped fund Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Tennessee flooding relief
$700,000 (£510,000) was raised by Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses in 2021 to help residents impacted by the catastrophic flooding in Middle Tennessee.
Dollywood education coverage
In 2022, the Dollywood Co. announced that it will cover 100% of tuition, fees and books for any employee who is furthering their education.
The program is available to all seasonal, part-time and full-time employees at Dollywood Parks & Resorts.
$1 million donation to the Salvation Army
In late 2023, the singer donated another generous $1 million to the Salvation Army, with the money going towards food and grocery programs in the US.
$2 million donation toward Hurricane Helene relief
Following the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, which affected areas across Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, Parton donated $1 million from her own funds for the Mountain Way’s Foundation, which provides assistance to flood victims.
Her East Tennessee businesses and the Dollywood Foundation also pledged an additional $1 million.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Rhiannon Ingle