EXCLUSIVE: Real Reason Dolly Parton Kept Cancer Battle Secret Revealed

Dolly Parton kept her cancer battle secret because she could not bear the thought of leaving her millions of fans and extended family frightened or upset, sources have told RadarOnline.com.

The country music legend died aged 80 last month following what her representatives described as a "brief battle" with cancer.

But Parton deliberately kept the diagnosis intensely private – with even some relatives unaware she was ill – before dying surrounded by loved ones at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

A Parton family source claimed to Radar: "Dolly made a conscious decision that cancer wasn't going to become the story of her final months. She had spent her entire life making people smile, and the last thing she wanted was millions of fans watching her every appearance and wondering how ill she was.

"Keeping it within a very small circle also allowed Dolly to remain Dolly. She didn't want relatives constantly calling, people treating her differently, or everyone around her preparing for the worst."

The insider noted, "That was incredibly important to her. She wanted whatever time she had to be filled with ordinary conversations, laughter, and work rather than fear. Even while facing something terrifying privately, her instinct was still to protect everybody else from carrying that burden with her."

Speaking to Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Parton's sister Stella Parton, 77, said: "Well, Dolly did not want anybody to tell that because Dolly could not bear negative things, and she would not have wanted her fans worried about it.

"She didn't want a lot of the family worried about it. Some of us knew, the ones that were closer, but not every relative. She did not want people sad."

Stella added that she would continue honoring her sister's desire for privacy by refusing to disclose precisely what form of cancer the Jolene singer had suffered.

"She didn't (explicitly) tell us that we could say it. So out of respect for her... it's not my business to tell her business," she added.

The secrecy surrounding Dolly's illness meant the announcement of her cancer battle came only after her death.

According to Stella, however, her sister had accepted what was happening and was prepared for the end of her life. Her final request to those around her was for prayer.

Asked what she misses most about her sister, Stella said: "Her optimism. I don't miss her struggling in pain. I know she was at peace.

"She knew where she was going. She wasn't going anywhere bad. She was definitely prepared."

Dolly's death prompted an enormous outpouring of affection from fans who had followed a career spanning decades of country and popular music.

Stella believes the response would have delighted her sister because of the comfort it offered Parton's family and those close to her late husband, Carl Thomas Dean, and best friend Judy Ogle.

Stella said: "She'd be really happy and delighted that people have shown her so much love because she knew that would make us feel better as her family.

"Bottom line, end of the day, her family and Carl's family and probably Judy's family are the people that she would want to say, 'See, everything I did, they cared. They really loved me.'"

The 9 to 5 hitmaker's representatives confirmed her illness after her death, paying tribute to both her entertainment career and extensive charitable work.

They said: "Our beloved Dolly Parton spent her life and career bringing joy, laughter, hope, and integrity into everything she touched. Her unmatched generosity reached the lives of countless people whom she would never meet, yet she was always there to offer a helping hand.

"Whether it be the hundreds of millions of books donated through her invaluable Imagination Library or funding research that helped create a lifesaving vaccine used around the world, Dolly's unconditional love for all people was the guiding force for her lasting impact.

"After bravely facing a brief battle with cancer, Dolly departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, surrounded by loved ones."