Karoline Leavitt jokes about Dolly Parton just days after her death at 80
Karoline Leavitt jokes about Dolly Parton just days after her death at 80
Averee NelsonThu, August 27, 2026 at 6:45 PM UTC
0
Karoline Leavitt posted a video on Instagram in reference to Dolly Parton after her tragic death at age 80 -Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited
As the world is still grieving the loss of country music legend Dolly Parton, Karoline Leavitt made a playful nod toward the singer.
Leavitt, 29, has officially reached her last day as President Donald Trump’s White House press secretary, as she announced her resignation about two weeks ago, citing a desire to spend more time with her young family.
She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60, welcomed their daughter, Viviana, “Vivi," on May 1, 2026. They also share a 2-year-old son, Nicholas “Niko.” Leavitt took to her Instagram Stories to share a moment from her last day while also making a joke about one of Parton’s most famous songs. It comes as Dolly Parton's heartbreaking last ten-word statement before her death has been revealed.
• Truth about woman who inspired Dolly Parton's iconic 'Jolene' after death at 80
• Inside Dolly Parton's 'fiercely private' life with husband Carl Dean amid health decline
Leavitt posted a video on her Instagram Stories on Thursday, August 27, showing herself walking into the White House in her white stiletto heels as she bids farewell to her prominent role.
She set her video to Parton’s song 9 to 5, a catchy hit that the late musician wrote for the 1980 movie of the same name, which she also starred in. The song left a legacy of empowerment for working women.
Leavitt wrote a message on her video: “Last Day.” She added in parentheses to clarify her working hours compared to Parton’s song, “Workin 6-8, not 9-5.”
Advertisement
Karoline Leavitt posted a video on her Instagram Stories set to Dolly Parton's song 9 to 5 -Credit:karolineleavitt/Instagram
Parton died at age 80 on Tuesday, August. 25. The shocking news was first shared by Parton’s nephew and head of security, Bryan Seaver, via an Instagram video. He shared that he had promised Parton he would be the one to make the video message, saying that he had “imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it until now.”
“It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness. But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly. Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens,” Seaver said.
In a statement shared by Parton’s representatives to People, her team confirmed that her death followed a “brief battle with cancer.” Just four days before her death, she shared a health update with People, in which she acknowledged the decline of her health following the death of her husband, Carl Dean, in March 2025.
Over the past year, Parton shared health updates on Instagram and even had to postpone concert tour dates due to her health struggles.
"I still have so many things I want to achieve," Dolly Parton said just days before her death at age 80 -Credit:Katherine Bomboy/NBC via Getty Images
“You know me — as I’ve often said — I’ve dreamed myself into a corner and I still have so many things I want to achieve, so I’m gonna keep on working as long as I can to see everything come to life,” Parton told the outlet before her death.
Leavitt paid tribute to Parton on Wednesday in a post on X, writing, “Dolly was a legend in every sense of the word, and she is most definitely resting in Heaven.”
Trump also commemorated Parton in a Truth Social post, saying, “This is a true loss for millions of people. There has never been anyone like her, and never will.” He also ordered all American flags to be flown at half-staff for a one-week period beginning on Tuesday.
As Leavitt exited her role at the White House on Thursday, she took another moment to give a nod to Parton with the use of her song 9 to 5.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
