Dolly Parton’s niece Danielle Parton has revealed that she is battling cancer, sharing that she received a stage zero diagnosis and caught the disease early. In a recent interview, Danielle said she told her aunt about her diagnosis weeks before the country music icon died at 80 on August 25, reportedly from an unspecified cancer.Danielle did not disclose the type of cancer she is dealing with but opened up about Dolly’s emotional reaction when she shared the news. She said she had not realised how much her aunt was dealing with her own illness at the time.
Danielle Parton says Dolly was ‘devastated’ by her diagnosis
Speaking to Extra, Danielle said she was “going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now.” She explained that her diagnosis was at stage zero, adding that she had caught it early.Danielle recalled telling Dolly about her condition around August 6. She said her aunt took the news particularly hard, which made her realise that Dolly was likely dealing with cancer herself.“She took it really heavy, and that’s how I figured out,” Danielle said, explaining that she had known Dolly was unwell but did not know the extent of what she was facing.Recalling their conversation, Danielle said Dolly was “just devastated” that her niece was going through a health battle of her own.“I remember telling her, I’m like, ‘Look, you’ve gotta get it together. It ain’t that deep. I just wanted you to know,’” Danielle recalled.She also described Dolly as someone who consistently put the people she loved before herself.“She worried more about everybody else before she would ever let you know anything was wrong with her,” Danielle said.
Danielle Parton takes on a new role to preserve Dolly’s legacy
Danielle Parton is now helping preserve her aunt Dolly Parton’s legacy as the new brand ambassador of her estate.
Despite her personal health battle, Danielle is also stepping into a new role connected to her aunt’s legacy. According to People, she has been named the new brand ambassador of Dolly Parton’s estate.A press release cited by the publication said the role would allow Danielle to help preserve Dolly’s legacy while bringing her own experiences and perspective to the forefront.On October 21, Danielle shared a video on Instagram expressing her excitement about the responsibility. Reflecting on her aunt’s influence, she said Dolly “loved us deeply, believed in big dreams and she always encouraged me to find my way in this world.”Danielle also made it clear that she did not intend to imitate the legendary singer but wanted to share the personal side of the woman she knew.“I’m not crazy enough to try to fill her shoes. God knows I couldn’t walk [in] them without killing myself,” she joked.She added that she hoped to tell stories about Dolly beyond her status as a global icon and support the people continuing the work her aunt created.“What I can do is share the woman that I knew,” Danielle said, adding that she wanted to help ensure Dolly’s work continued to bring joy to people.
Who is Danielle Parton?
Danielle is the daughter of Bobby Parton, Dolly’s younger brother. While she is now taking on a public-facing role connected to her aunt’s estate, she has also built a career of her own.According to the website of her Shine Girl moonshine company, Danielle previously served as a pilot with the Air National Guard. She flew C-130 and C-5 aircraft around the world, including in combat, during multiple deployments.
