Dolly Parton Health Crisis Revealed: Country Star, 79, Suffering From Painful Bout of Kidney Stones Years After Inner Circle Feared Condition Could Be 'Far More Serious'
Dolly Parton's inner circle feared her abdominal pain was being caused by a 'far more serious condition' than kidney stones.
Oct. 8 2025, Published 4:45 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton has sparked fresh health fears after she abruptly cancelled an appearance, citing doctors' orders – and then her sister fueled panic by requesting "prayers" for the country music superstar as she suffered from painful kidney stones.
The Jolene hitmaker is no stranger to health challenges and has a history of kidney stones. So much so, her inner circle believed her intense abdominal pains were being caused by a "far more serious condition," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Dolly Parton's Secret Hospitalization
Parton has suffered an infection from kidney stones forcing her to cancel her Las Vegas concert dates.
While Parton, 79, has had a strong music career for decades, the same sadly couldn't be said for her petite frame.
She was diagnosed with endometriosis after experiencing excruciating pain and underwent a partial hysterectomy in 1985, which left her unable to ever have children of her own with her late husband, Carl Dean.
Decades later, Parton was secretly hospitalized at Nashville's Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 2015 after experiencing another bout of intense stomach pain.
Parton was secretly hospitalized for kidney stones in 2015.
Parton underwent a series of tests before the Vanderbilt team concluded her source of agony was kidney stones, though sources alleged her inner circle worried a more serious diagnosis could be to blame.
The 9 to 5 singer underwent treatments to relieve her pain, including laser therapy. Still, her loved ones weren't convinced she was out of the woods just yet.
An insider told us: "She was in such pain. It's not the first – she's been in a cancer battle before.
"We're all terrified she has a far more serious condition than kidney stones."
Sources claimed Parton's inner circle feared her intense pain was being caused by a 'far more serious condition.'
The insider explained: "So far, the laser treatments haven't worked, and she's undergoing more testing. The scary thing is she has the symptoms of stomach cancer – and this is what she could be hiding."
Two years prior to her secret hospitalization for kidney stones, Parton was diagnosed with Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which caused severe heartburn, sore throats, difficulty swallowing, and could lead to esophageal cancer.
At the same time, Parton suddenly dropped 20 pounds, intensifying concern for her health. Sources said she researched her condition and was well aware of associated cancer risks.
Parton's Previous Cancer Scare
Sources noted Parton's previous cancer scare in 2013 as cause for concern.
Despite her fears, Parton decided to bravely confront the diagnosis and took preventative steps to get ahead of esophageal cancer.
The source noted: "Dolly always projects an upbeat, positive image, but underneath that she was terrified."
She weighed her options and decided to go through with surgery to have a state-of-the-art device called LINX implanted into her esophagus.
According to the insider, Parton kept her 2013 surgery under wraps, saying: "Dolly didn't want her friends, family, and fans to worry about her, so the entire procedure was done under the tightest security."
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Meanwhile, Parton hasn't been able to hide her current health crisis from the public.
As RadarOnline.com reported, the legend broke her silence on her current condition after her sister's post asking for prayers sent death rumors swirling online.
In a video address, Parton insisted she "not dying" and addressed rumors about her health, saying: "I wanted to put everybody's mind at ease, those that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate – and I appreciate your prayers, 'cause I'm a person of faith, I can always use the prayers for anything and everything – but I want you to know that I'm OK!"
