Dolly Parton's niece, Jada Star, has opened up about why the country icon chose to keep her cancer diagnosis private before her death on 25 August at age 80.
Why she kept it private
Speaking to Extra, Jada explained that her aunt simply never wanted to worry anyone, saying the family kept the details very private in a way that felt true to who Dolly was. While the family had known about her declining health and diagnosis beforehand, Jada said her actual death still came as a genuine shock.
Remembering her aunt
Jada described struggling to remember a life without her aunt in it, reflecting on a relationship that stretched back her entire life. She said the family has found some comfort in the overwhelming global response to Dolly's death, describing it as bittersweet to witness just how deeply loved she was by fans and the wider country music community.
Jada also shared some of Dolly's characteristic advice for moving forward, joking that her aunt would have told the family to dry their tears, get back to work, and love each other hard.
Honouring her through music
Jada performed "The Orchard" at the Grand Ole Opry's tribute to Dolly on 29 August, saying she hoped her aunt would have been proud of the performance. She recalled one piece of advice Dolly frequently gave her specifically, questioning why she worried so much about what other people thought, and said she thought of that advice while on stage, feeling her aunt's presence throughout the performance.
