Why Dolly Parton never had children, in her own words

TrendingUpdated: Aug. 25, 2026, 1:27 p.m.Published: Aug. 25, 2026, 1:26 p.m.Dolly Parton.APDolly Parton fans around the world are mourning after the country legend’s family announced her death on Tuesday, Aug. 25. She was 80. Parton’s nephew Bryan Seever, who was also her longtime head of security, revealed the news in a video. A cause of death has not been shared. “This video announcement is something Dolly asked me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,” Seever said. “I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now. It is an honor. An honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us not with Dolly.”Parton’s death comes more than one year after her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at the age of 82