Dolly Parton is reassuring her fans after sparking health concerns.

“I wanna say something,” Parton, 79, began via a two-minute social media video on Wednesday, October 8. “Well, today’s October the 8th and, obviously, I’m here doing some commercials for the Grand Ole Opry, which is why I’m dressed kinda like a country western girl.”

She continued, “But before I got started I wanted to say I know lately everybody thinks that I’m sicker than I am. Do I look sick to you? I’m working hard here. Anyway, I wanted to put everybody’s mind at ease, those of you that seem to be real concerned, which I appreciate. And I appreciate your prayers ’cause I’m a person of faith. I can always use the prayers for anything and everything. But I want you to know that I’m OK.”

Parton noted that she’s “got some [health] problems,” which she has “mentioned” previously.

Related: Dolly Parton Is Fine, Dealing With Kidney Stones, Rep Says

Dolly Parton’s rep is assuring fans she is fine amid concerns over her health. The “Jolene” singer’s fans expressed their concern on Tuesday, October 7, after Dolly’s sister Freida Parton shared in a Facebook post that she was “up all night praying” for the star. Dolly, 79, recently postponed several Las Vegas shows due to take […]

“Back when my husband, Carl, was very sick, that was for a long time, and then when he passed I didn’t take care of myself, so I let a lot of things go that I should have been taking care of,” she said. “So, anyway, when I got around to it, the doctor said we need to take care of this, we need to take care of that. Nothing major, but I did have to cancel some things so I could be closer to home and closer to Vanderbilt [University Medical Center] where I’m kind of having a few treatments here and there. But I wanted you to know that I’m not dying.”

Parton went on to address a fake photo of her and Reba McEntire that had further fueled rumors.

I ain’t dead yet! pic.twitter.com/Mp553laadI

— Dolly Parton (@DollyParton) October 8, 2025

“Did you see that AI picture of Reba and me? Ooh, Lordy. I mean, they had Reba at my deathbed. And we both looked like we needed to be buried,” she continued. “But I thought, ‘Oh, my Lord, if I was really dying, I don’t think Reba would be the one at my deathbed.’ She might come visit me earlier, but anyway, there are just a lot of rumors flying around, but I figured if you heard it from me you’d know that I was OK. So anyhow, that’s what I wanted to say, and I’m not ready to die yet. I don’t think God is through with me and I ain’t done working. So I love you for caring, and keep praying for me.”

Dolly’s sister Freida Parton had sent fans into a spiral on Tuesday, October 7, when she shared via Facebook that she was “up all night praying” for the “Jolene” singer.

Related: Another One of Dolly Parton’s Sisters Speaks Out About Singer’s Health

Dolly Parton’s younger sister Stella Parton has spoken out amid the widespread discussion about the singer’s health. “My big sister Dolly posted last week, giving her fans an update concerning her health and that she has been seeking treatment for kidney stones,” she wrote via Facebook on Wednesday, October 8. “My sister Freida is concerned […]

“Many of you know she hasn’t been feeling her best lately. I truly believe in the power of prayer, and I have been led to ask all of the world that loves her to be prayer warriors and pray with me,” Freida continued. “She’s strong, she’s loved, and with all the prayers being lifted for her, I know in my heart she’s going to be just fine. Godspeed, my silly Dolly. We all love you.”

Dolly’s manager, Olly Rowland, later assured fans on Tuesday that Dolly is in good health.

“It’s just the kidney stones, and the procedure she needs to resolve those,” Rowland told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “It looks like her sister posted, and it got quite a bit blown out of proportion, weirdly.”

A woman’s trip to the doctor had her questioning her taste in desserts after being warned she may have kidney stones. In a TikTok, Madison Page (@maddygirl.101) shared the epiphany she had about her Ninja Creami hobby after her doctor asked her a question. 

“Doctor: You might have kidney stones. Have you had more calcium recently?” Page wrote in the text overlay. She then looked on into the distance, overlaying her face with clips of her various Ninja Creami creations. They included different types of frozen desserts, and the clips flashed before Page’s face. An ominous song playing in the background added to her dark realization.

In Page’s original caption, she added more context to her situation: “Ninja creami addiction has it’s consequences. Dairy-free recipes coming soon?!?!?!” 

The Ninja Creami is a popular appliance from the iconic Ninja brand that gained a cult following online. It offers an easy way to make ice cream, sorbet, or frozen yogurt. It currently retails for $199.99 and is officially called the “7-in-1 ice cream maker.” There are 81.6 million posts about Ninja Creami recipes on TikTok. 

As one would have guessed, many of them include dairy, which Page suspected may have been the culprit behind her potential kidney stones. (Her top three pinned videos on her profile are Ninja Creami recipes, and at least one of them uses Fairlife whole milk.)

Did she really get kidney stones from using Ninja Creami too much?

However, in an updated caption, Page shared that the scans came back kidney stone-free.

“Updated caption: don’t stress about eating dairy y’all,” she wrote. “This video is a JOKE about the doc asking me a question after thinking I had kidney stones. Scans are back and NO STONES but still figuring out why I’m in so much pain.”

Page had shared in her original caption that she kept “passing out.” She still has not shared what her official diagnosis is. 

While Page may have clarified that, fortunately, she had no kidney stones, many of the 53,000 viewers were spooked. 

‘New fear unlocked’

“Nooooo not the creami,” a top comment read, while a second user called it a “new fear unlocked.” Another begged Page to stop scaring folks, and to her credit, the TikToker did clarify in several comments that her video was a joke and for folks to enjoy their desserts with peace of mind.

Can too much dairy cause kidney stones? 

According to the University of Guelph, the short answer is no. It is a misconception that drinking too much milk may lead to a higher risk of kidney stones, but this is untrue.

“In fact, including foods rich in dietary calcium, such as milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified milk alternatives, white beans, tahini, almonds and chia seeds, will actually decrease your risk of developing kidney stones,” the article reads. “Dietary calcium binds to oxalate before it gets to the kidneys, helping to prevent stones.”

What is an actual kidney stone, then? The University of Guelph continues that the kidney stones are “hard objects made from calcium, oxalate, urate, cystine, xanthine, and phosphate in the urine.” 

@maddygirl.101 Updated caption: don’t stress about eating dairy yall? this video is a JOKE about the doc asking me a question after thinking I had kidney stones scans are back and NO STONES but still figuring out why I’m in so much pain?OG caption: ninja creami addiction has it’s consequences dairy free recipes coming soon?!?!?! IDEK IF I ACTUALLY HAVE KIDNEY STONES YET WAITING ON A SCAN WILL UPDATE????? now I know why my passing out and stuff has been exacerbated LOL ? #ninjacreami #kidneystone #calcium #hyperfixation ♬ original sound – ᯓ★

How to check whether you have kidney stones  

Speaking from experience, this writer knows that not all kidney stones exhibit symptoms. While the most common symptom is back pain (usually caused by the stone blocking urine), some stones are small enough not to be an obstruction. Often, folks may pass stones without even knowing they had them. And not all stones are the same, either. They depend not only on size but also on shape. So while you may think a smaller stone will cause less pain passing through your ureter, its shape–let’s say, spiky or ribbed–may cause unimaginable torture. 

If you suspect you have kidney stones, perhaps by having side or back pain, or have blood in your urine, there are a few tests you can do. You can take a urine test to test for blood or crystals, or infection. You can also take an X-ray to see the stone(s). Lastly, you can take a blood test to check your kidney function or to detect any infections. 

According to the Cleveland Clinic, about 1 in 10 people will get a kidney stone during their lifetime. So make sure to drink tons of water, avoid foods that have too much sodium (yes, that includes Buldak noodles), and use caution with supplements. 

The  Mary Sue reached out to Page via TikTok direct message and Ninja via email. 

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

Gisselle Hernandez

Gisselle Hernandez-Gomez is a contributing reporter to the Mary Sue. Her work has appeared in the Daily Dot, Business Insider, Fodor’s Travel and more. You can follow her on X at @GisselleHern. You can email her at [email protected].