Dolly Parton will not be able to accept her honorary Oscar at the Motion Picture Academy’s Governor Awards this year. The reason she cannot attend is because of a longstanding scheduling conflict, and not health reasons.
A rep for the country icon told Rolling Stone that Parton informed the Academy in June that she would not be able to attend the ceremony, taking place in November. Her team even suggested the Academy postpone honoring Parton until 2026 so that she would be able to partake. The rep also shared a copy of a previously issued invitation for the Governors Awards, which noted that Parton would give her acceptance speech from Nashville.
Several reports published on Tuesday, Sept. 30, suggested that Parton would miss the Governors Awards because of health issues. These emerged after Parton announced earlier this week that she would be postponing six upcoming concerts in Las Vegas due to “health challenges” that had derailed her rehearsals.
“As many of you know, I have been dealing with some health challenges, and my doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures,” Parton said in a statement shared on Instagram. “As I joked with them, it must be time for my 100,000-mile check-up, although it’s not the usual trip to see my plastic surgeon!”
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Parton did tell fans not to “worry about me quittin’ the business because God hasn’t said anything about stopping yet.” But she added, “I believe He is telling me to slow down right now so I can be ready for more big adventures in life.”
The Motion Picture Academy announced Parton as one of its honorary Oscar recipients back in June. She’s set to receive the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, in recognition of her philanthropic work. The ceremony will take place Nov. 16, with other honorees including Tom Cruise, Debbie Allen, and Wynn Thomas.