RIP
Celebrities React To Dolly Parton’s Death At 80
“You were the barometer,” wrote Beyoncé.
Dolly Parton has died at 80, her nephew Bryan Seaver announced in a video on Aug. 25. “Dolly opened doors — not just for me, but for her entire family, to reach the potential we didn’t even know was possible,” Seaver said in his statement. “Dolly also opened doors for generations of singers, songwriters, musicians, and dreamers from every walk of life, and across every continent. By her example, we believed that anything was possible.”
Indeed, Parton’s impact as a multi-hyphenate entertainer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist could be felt in the countless tributes that poured in following the news of her passing. Here’s how friends, loved ones, and fellow celebrities have reacted to Parton’s death.
Jane Fonda
Parton’s 9 to 5 co-star Jane Fonda penned a touching tribute to her late friend. “I know that millions are mourning and I want to say this — more than anyone I have ever known, Dolly will always be with us because she was so present, so powerful, so generous and playful that she is woven into all our lives and hearts forever,” she captioned a photo of the pair laughing together.
Fonda remembered Parton’s multi-faceted achievements, calling her at once a “naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves.” She addressed Parton’s LGBTQ+ supporters, specifically, writing: “To her gay and trans fans, I want you to know that she loved you. You know that without me telling you. She loved all her fans and they are legion. And you know she doesn’t want y’all to mourn now. Dress up and celebrate her spirit.” She also invited fans to watch Parton cameo as an angel in heaven on Grace & Frankie.
Beyoncé
Beyoncé, who put her own spin on Parton’s seminal hit “Jolene” on her 2024 album Cowboy Carter, paid her respects in a letter posted to her website.
“Dolly, you were the barometer,” she wrote. “You taught so many lessons on how to be uniquely oneself. I am grateful for your art, your heart, your generosity, your humor, your entrepreneurship. I’m honored that I had the privilege to work with you. I will treasure that forever. Thank you for your profound impact on the world. You are an angel who has made this world a happier place because of your joyful art. You are truly one of one. Rest peacefully.”
Taylor Swift
“A world without Dolly doesn’t feel possible, real, or right,”Taylor Swift said in a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter. “But because of the eternally generous way she spent her time on this earth and the countless lives she changed for the better, her legacy will be an everlasting one.”
Swift went on to describe Parton as “true grace and true grit, all in one dazzling person. She possessed the softest heart when it came to the struggles of others, and a backbone of steel to defend her own self worth as an artist.” She acknowledged the way Parton impacted multiple generations — from readers who received free books from her Imagination Library, to artists like Swift herself. “For the tightropes she walked so that young girls like me could grow up dreaming of joining the circus too,” she wrote. “Dolly, I’ll think of you each step of the way.”
Sally Field
“If there are truly angels on earth, then we have just lost one,” Sally Field wrote of her Steel Magnolias castmate alongside a sweet throwback photo. “There will never be another. I adored her with all my heart and will always cherish our time together. Forever. Rest in peace beautiful Dolly.”
Julia Roberts
“Dolly was a magical and joyous human,” Julia Roberts, who also starred in Steel Magnolias, shared in a statement with Entertainment Weekly. “I hold knowing her as a treasure in my life. The sun has dimmed today.”
Shirley MacLaine
Fellow castmate Shirley MacLaine also paid tribute, telling EW: “God sent her to us, and she has returned home.”
Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire shared a collection of photos with her pal Parton through the years. “Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth,” she wrote. “Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.”
McEntire said her friend would “have a blast in heaven singing all her favorite songs with all her family and friends who have gone on before her” — adding that she’ll “never forget” her first or last meeting with Parton. “I hold it with love in my heart. I will always love you,” she signed off, nodding to the beautiful farewell song famously covered by Whitney Houston.
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter remembered Parton — with whom she collaborated on a remix of “Please Please Please” — as an “angel walking the earth.”
“I will cherish our laughter and conversations and i will keep your wisdom, your playful outlook on life, and perfect sense of humor in my pocket for the rainy days,” she continued. “there will never be another you and how lucky are we all to have experienced your singular magic as well as your once in a lifetime voice, songs, and heart. your light will be something the world will search forever to find again.”
Khloé Kardashian
Noted super-fan Khloé Kardashian called Parton a “once-in-a-lifetime soul” in a moving tribute on her Instagram story. “To have admired her was a gift. To have met her, spent time in her presence, and somehow been lucky enough that Dolly Parton knew my name... I will never have words big enough for what that means to me,” Kardashian wrote, sharing a video Parton sent for Kardashian’s Dollywood-themed 40th birthday in 2024, and a look at the ladies together on the Khloé in Wonderland podcast.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer shared a photo of her and Parton, with whom she worked on the film Joyful Noise. “I’m devastated. Truly,” she wrote.
Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris remembered Parton as a “true American icon,” noting her long list of achievements and making special note of Parton’s Imagination Library, which has gifted books to more than 300 million children around the world. “All at once she was kind, modest, and funny. With her music, her philanthropy, and her style, Dolly was one of one,” Harris wrote.
Bernie Sanders
Senator Bernie Sanders also remembered Parton’s widespread impact. “She was not only a talented musician & songwriter, but a lifelong philanthropist and advocate for literacy, education, LGBTQ+ rights, healthcare and disaster relief,” he wrote. “Her music and humanity touched millions. She will be sorely missed.”
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick shared a photo of her on stage with Parton, writing: “I will certainly miss her laughter, jokes, and her being. Rest well and in total peace my friend. My heart is heavy.”
Kelly Clarkson
“Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends,” Kelly Clarkson wrote. “I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us.”
Colman Domingo
“Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light,” wrote Colman Domingo. “We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her.”
Jamie Lee Curtis
“They say don’t meet your heroes. They were wrong about her,” Jamie Lee Curtis captioned a photo of her and Parton. “Her bravery to know that she was more than they thought she was and that she needed to break away and move on into new work and new possibilities led her to write I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU, as her way of thanking and loving, but moving on. She is a great example for us all.”
Henry Wrinkler
“Dolly! We will miss you in more ways than one,” wrote Henry Wrinkler, describing Parton as “a treasure on this earth.”
Andy Cohen
Andy Cohen recalled his son, Ben, looking at a painting of Parton in their home and asking, “Daddy, is that God?”
The Watch What Happens Live host agreed that his child was “onto something,” continuing: “We were all so lucky to live in her midst and get to experience her music, kindness, and joy.”
Sarah Jessica Parker
Sarah Jessica Parker remembered Parton as “one of the greatest this country ever produced,” further remembering the late icon for “always advocating for those she knew and understood needed a champion.”
Kacey Musgraves
Kacey Musgraves wrote that “the world feels a lot less sparkly all of a sudden,” adding of Parton’s late husband: “So glad she’s with her Carl Dean.”
Maren Morris
Maren Morris remembered Parton with a throwback video of them singing together, writing: “There will never be another. @dollyparton was who we could all agree on. she was and is such a light.”
