Dolly Parton's Crippling Health 'Nightmare' Sparked by Husband's Death: Pals Reveals Country Icon, 80, Was 'Not Eating Right' and Let Well-Being 'Slip' Following Carl Dean's Passing
Dolly Parton is still grieving her late husband Carl Dean and pals believe that's the major reason behind her decline.
May 11 2026, Published 12:46 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton's crippling health issues were sparked by her husband's death, according to new claims.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the country icon's life has dramatically changed since Carl Dean's passing in March 2025, with pals believing grief, more than illness, is the main reason why she's struggled to resume her music career.
'Meds Are Making Me Swimmy-Headed'
Parton recently told how her meds have impacted her health.
The Jolene star, who recently postponed her Las Vegas residency, gave a health update to her fans last week via social media, revealing it will be some time before she's "stage-performance level because some of the meds and treatments make me a little bit swimmy-headed, as my grandma used to say."
But pals of the singer believe Parton is putting on a brave face through her health ordeal and believe the loss of her husband — whom she met in 1964 when she was just 18 — has impacted her more than she's letting on.
The insider told Daily Mail: "The life she lives now without him 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. This loss will and has forever changed her and is a main reason that she has had health issues as of late."
'She May Not Have Grieved Enough'
Pals fear the singer is still mourning her late husband, who passed away in March 2025.
The source claimed that after the tragedy, she "was not eating right, not doing the things she usually would do for her continued health, and she let things slip.
"She has given herself various amounts of time to grieve and may have not grieved enough and has left some things in God's hand."
Now, Parton, according to the insider, is "still trying to figure it all out."
"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 source said.
'Our Wedding Anniversary Was Hard For Me'
The country icon revealed being without Dean on significant dates was 'hard.'
In an emotional video shared last Monday, Parton offered fans a health update after canceling her residency, but it was clear Dean's death was at the forefront of her thoughts as she repeatedly thanked fans for their support.
Holding back tears, Parton said: "I want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that."
She continued: "After going through a year of firsts - I mean the holidays, and especially on our wedding anniversary, and the day of his death March 3, you know, that was hard for me.
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Parton says she 'will always love and miss' her late husband.
"But I will always love him and I'll always miss him. But you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time. Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers."
However, the insider added that even all of the support and concern from those who love her isn't quite speeding along the grief process.
"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," the source said.
