Dolly Parton’s niece is opening up about how her family is grieving their loss in the wake of the country legend’s death last week at age 80.
Jada Star ― who, like Parton, is a country musician ― admitted to ExtraTV this week that the days since her aunt’s death have been “really difficult,” adding that her family’s spirits have been boosted by the outpouring of support they’ve received from fans around the world.
“I can’t remember a life without her in it,” said Star, who is the daughter of Parton’s younger sister, Freida. “She would also tell us to start drying it up and start trying to get back to work and love each other real hard.”
Parton’s nephew, Bryan Seaver, broke the news of his aunt’s death Aug. 25 in an emotional video shared on social media. However, it wasn’t until later that day that Parton’s representatives disclosed her cause of death, noting in a statement that the 11-time Grammy winner had died after a “brief battle with cancer” at a Nashville hospital.
Watch Jada Star’s ExtraTV interview below.
When asked why Parton ― who had a reputation for being forthcoming and accessible to her fans ― would remain tight-lipped on her health and recent hospitalizations, Star noted: “You know, we kind of kept all that stuff real private.”
“She never wanted to worry anybody, so I think it was just a shock on Tuesday,” she added.
Parton had alluded to unspecified health concerns on social media and in interviews after plans for a 2025 Las Vegas residency were at first postponed, then scrapped altogether. In August, she backed out of a scheduled appearance at her Dollywood theme park, later joking that her doctor had “clipped my wings” and prohibited her from traveling.
Speaking to People in an interview conducted just four days before her death, Parton acknowledged she’d been grappling with “some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to” prior to the 2025 death of her husband, Carl Dean.
Still, she reassured fans that she intended to forge ahead with a series of creative projects, including “Dolly: A True Original Musical,” which is slated to open on Broadway in early 2027.
“Seriously, though, even though I’m still healin,’ I’m still workin’!” she told the outlet. “You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life.”
Last weekend, Star joined fellow Nashville-based artists Carly Pearce and Jelly Roll in paying tribute to Parton with a celebratory concert at the Grand Ole Opry. In her ExtraTV appearance, she shared how she intends to keep her aunt’s legacy alive through her own work as a singer-songwriter.
“For me, I’m going to keep writing and I love listening to other people’s stories and I love helping other people learn to write, I think that’s a lot of fun,” she said. “Everything she taught me, I’ll use in everything I do, for sure.”
