Dolly Parton’s Niece, Battling Cancer, Named Brand Ambassador for Dollywood Estate

Danielle Parton, the niece of country music legend Dolly Parton, has taken on a new role as brand ambassador for her late aunt’s estate.

The 50-year-old entrepreneur shared the news in an Instagram reel this week, saying she felt honored to help preserve the family legacy. “I’m proud to be part of that legacy and to carry it on in my own way,” she said.

In the accompanying caption, Danielle wrote: “Being a Parton means hard work, big dreams and never forgetting where you came from.”

The short video opened with a prerecorded introduction from Dolly. Danielle said she was “so grateful to help care for a legacy” that holds deep meaning for both her family and her aunt’s worldwide fan base.

Describing herself as a “girl boss,” the pilot and businesswoman pledged to protect and celebrate Dolly’s enduring work.

The announcement follows the death of the “I Will Always Love You” singer, who died from cancer at age 80 on August 25.

Danielle explained that Dolly’s death, and the loss of the woman she affectionately called Aunt Granny, “changed something” in her.

“It made me think of the stories, values, and lessons that she left behind, and the responsibility that our family has to care for them,” she said.

Rather than attempting to speak on Dolly’s behalf, Danielle said she wants to share the stories her aunt left behind.

She also made clear that she has no intention of trying to replace the iconic performer. “I’m not crazy enough to try to fill her shoes. God knows I couldn’t walk on them without killing myself,” Danielle joked.

“What I can do is share the woman that I knew,” she continued. “I can tell some of the stories of her, the stories behind the global icon, and support the people carrying forward the work that she cared for and created to make sure what she built continues to bring people joy.”

Danielle also revealed this week that she has been diagnosed with cancer, although the disease was detected early.

“I’m going through a little bit of a cancer battle myself right now,” she told Extra in an interview published Thursday.

“I’m OK,” she assured correspondent Mona Kosar Abdi, before recalling how deeply Dolly reacted to the news.

“I didn’t know, like anybody else, what she was dealing with. I knew she was sick,” Danielle recalled. “And so she was just devastated that I was going through it, and I remember telling her, I’m like, ‘Look, you’ve gotta get it together. It ain’t that deep. I just wanted you to know ’cause I was having a biopsy.’”

Reflecting on Dolly’s character, Danielle added: “She worried more about everybody else before she would ever let you know anything was wrong with her.”

On Wednesday, Danielle attended CMA’s I Will Always Love You: A Celebration of Dolly Parton tribute show.

Following the star-studded gathering, where Reba McEntire and Ella Langley performed, she wrote online, ‘It was an honor to celebrate my Aunt Granny, who has inspired generations with her music, her kindness and her giving spirit. ❤️ Thank you, @cma, for a beautiful tribute.’

Meanwhile, Dolly’s nephew Bryan Seaver was allegedly banned from the affair amid family tension.

Reacting to the tribute, he wrote on Facebook, ‘What a beautiful tribute. I was not invited. Nor was my daughter, Dolly’s songwriting, guitar-playing, claw hammer finger-pickin’ progeny. The rest of my entire family was invited. A few attended. My kids and I were told not to attend. Such is life.’

In August, Dolly’s death was confirmed in a video posted on Instagram by Seaver, who served as her head of security.

‘This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago before I fully absorbed it as a future reality,’ Seaver said at the time.

He lauded his aunt for having ‘lived in the light’ and said she was now ‘in the arms of Jesus’ and the company of her late husband Carl Dean, as well as her parents and ‘countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens.’

In September, Dolly’s estate was granted a temporary restraining order against Seaver following allegations that he made threats towards her manager Danny Nozell. 

Nozell, who managed Parton for over 20 years, took out the restraining order against Seaver under Parton’s company She’s Alive, LLC.

He claimed Seaver demanded money from him and began ‘invoking his self-proclaimed military-contractor experience, access to weapons, and capacity for violence’ while doing so. 

Seaver and SAPS must remain 1,000 feet away from She’s Alive employees, lawyers, and business partners. Seaver and SAPS must also not interfere with She’s Alive’s business relationships.

In documents, Nozell told the court he fired Seaver from his position on September 15 as a result of the alleged threats, TMZ reported.  

Seaver said in a recent court filing reviewed by Page Six that the text messages he sent had been taken out of context.

Seaver said in the court filing that part of the conflict centered around an outstanding $251,000 payment that has since been settled to his company Squadron Augmented Protection Services, over services that were provided at properties Dolly owned.

He added that he was upset about numerous problems linked to the SongTeller Hotel in Nashville, ranging from safety infractions to delayed construction to guards he accused of sleeping and using marijuana while working.

Seaver claimed that Parton had been supportive of his ‘pressing’ of Herschend Family Entertainment, the operators of the SongTeller Hotel and Dollywood, over the aforementioned problems.

And he added a letter Parton penned on November 11, 2024 calling his organization ‘very professional, very discreet, and very good at what they do,’ according to the outlet.