Dolly Parton Needed Assistance From Two Men During Final In-Person Appearance Just Two Months Before Her Death at 80
Dolly Parton looked like she needed help standing during her final public appearance.
Aug. 25 2026, Published 6:18 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton appeared to need help standing as she oversaw the ribbon-cutting and grand opening of her "Tennessean Travel Stop," RadarOnline.com can share.
The June appearance would end up being her last one in public before her death on Tuesday, August 25, at age 80.
Dolly Parton's Final Appearance Came in June
The singer cut the ceremonial ribbon at the opening of her new Tennessee truck stop.
Parton grabbed a pair of giant pink bedazzled scissors and flashed a giant smile to the cheering crowd in Cornersville, Tenn., on June 24, as she cut the ribbon at the grand opening of her Dolly's Tennessean Travel Stop.
But behind that classic smile, some fans noticed something seemed off.
Two men remained close by Parton's side throughout the appearance and repeatedly reached to steady her. As the Jolene singer clutched a microphone in one hand, she grasped the edge of a nearby podium with the other.
Observers commented that Parton sounded as though she was slurring some of her words. Others shared fears the music icon appeared "frail," "fragile," unsteady and close to collapse.
Dolly Parton Was Hospitalized When She Died
Some fans in attendance noted she had trouble speaking and was slurring her words.
An insider revealed to Radar at the time that just getting Parton to make it to the ribbon cutting was an accomplishment on its own.
"It was a huge deal for Dolly to go out and greet fans," the insider explained. "She has been told in no uncertain terms that these outings are generally not a good idea until she's back at 100 percent."
Parton's failing health landed her in the hospital just days before her passing. According to TMZ, the 9 to 5 singer was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville on Thursday, August 20 for "kidney and autoimmune issues."
The outlet reported that Parton died at the hospital early Tuesday morning.
Dolly Parton Suffers Health Scares
Parton was emotionally shattered after the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
Parton's physical and emotional health seemed to never recover after the loss of her husband, Carl Dean, at 82 in March 2025.
Concern first flared last September when Parton revealed she was battling "a kidney stone that was causing me a lot of problems," forcing her to miss the unveiling of a new attraction at her Dollywood theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
She also postponed her Las Vegas residency, revealing only that she needed to undergo "a few procedures" while keeping the true nature of her condition hidden from the world. She joked that she'd told doctors "it must be time for my 100,000-mile checkup, although it's not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon."
At the time, an insider told Radar, "The life she lives now without (Dean) is crippled in comparison. To know that she will never be the same absolutely has affected her deeply."
"Emotionally, personally, physically, it all has taken a toll," the source continued. "This loss will and has forever changed her and is a main reason that she has had health issues as of late."
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Dolly Parton Never Stopped Grieving Carl Dean's Death
She was secretly admitted to the hospital at the end of last week.
The source revealed that after Dean's death, Parton's entire outlook changed.
"She was not eating right, not doing the things she usually would do for her continued health, and she let things slip," the insider claimed.
"When Carl died, that was the first time brakes were applied and reality set in, and she didn't know how to handle it," the insider said.
After Dean's death, fans flooded the singer with support, but still, the grieving never subsided.
"Knowing Carl for decades and being the most important person in her life, now that he is gone, as much as she can take comfort in other family members and fans having her back, it is never the same," said the source.
