Dolly Parton’s niece Danielle Parton says she began to suspect her famous aunt was battling cancer after sharing her own diagnosis with the country legend in August, just weeks before Dolly died on Aug. 25.
Danielle, the daughter of Dolly’s older brother Bobby Parton, opened up about the experience during a recent chat with Extra, explaining that Dolly was devastated to learn her niece was dealing with the disease.
She explained that she told Dolly about her own cancer diagnosis around Aug. 6, after undergoing a biopsy. Although her cancer was caught early, Dolly was devastated by the news.
How Did Dolly Parton’s Niece Find Out She Had Cancer?
“I am going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now. I’m okay, stage zero, caught it early, getting it done,” Danielle said. “But she took it really heavy, and that’s how I figured out.”
“Look, you gotta get it together, it ain’t that deep,” Danielle remembered telling her aunt. “I just wanted you to know because you knew I was having a biopsy.”
Read More: Why Dolly Parton Kept Her Cancer Diagnosis Private
But Dolly’s strong reaction made Danielle suspect her aunt was battling cancer herself. At the time, Danielle knew Dolly was sick but didn’t know what she was going through.
“I didn’t know, like anybody else, what she was dealing with. I knew she was sick,” Danielle said.
Looking back, Danielle believes Dolly’s instinct to protect the people she loved kept her from revealing her own struggles.
Read More: Dolly Parton’s Family Won’t Reveal What Type of Cancer She Had – Because It Was Her Story to Tell
“She worried more about everybody else, before she would ever let you know that anything was wrong with her,” Danielle said.
Who Is Dolly Parton’s Niece Danielle?
Danielle is the daughter of Dolly’s older brother Bobby and has built an accomplished career of her own. She is a commercial airline pilot, military veteran and entrepreneur who spent 20 years in the military before launching Shine Girl, her moonshine distillery in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.
Earlier this week, Dolly’s estate announced Danielle as its official brand ambassador.
The two shared a close relationship, and Dolly even recorded a video message for Danielle’s military retirement in 2025. Danielle said her aunt had a special way of making her nieces feel beautiful and important.
“As we were putting that together, I was shocked that we had that introduction. She always acted like we were the prettiest, the best,” Danielle recalled.
Read More: Reba McEntire’s Tribute to Dolly Parton Comes Down to One Thing: Who She Was Offstage [Watch]
Danielle also admitted she has often heard that she looks like her famous aunt. “I’ve heard it before, yeah.”
Although Danielle said she is still overwhelmed by the outpouring of love following Dolly’s death on Aug. 25, she said seeing how deeply her aunt touched people around the world has been incredible for the family.
“I’ve always known that Dolly was a huge star, but it’s fascinating to me to see the outpouring of love since she’s passed,” she said.
Dolly Parton Tribute Concert: All the Performers
From Carrie Underwood and Lainey Wilson to Vince Gill and Reba McEntire, the lineup represented several generations of country music.
Gallery Credit: Donny Meacham
