For Miley Cyrus, Dolly Parton was never simply a music legend. She was Aunt Dolly.
Cyrus shared a throwback photo of her longtime godmother on Instagram, along with a rare glimpse into a relationship she largely intends to keep to herself.
'The feeling of losing my Aunt Dolly is beyond what feels right to share,' Cyrus wrote. 'Our most sacred moments were private and they'll stay there behind the stage, beneath the glamour & between our hearts.'
She continued by sharing a piece of how she is handling her emotions at the moment.
'What I KNOW is Dolly would want me to feel it, write a song about it, and then continue on and be strong,' she wrote.
Cyrus added that one of their final conversations centred on 'music and metamorphosis', signing off the thought with a butterfly emoji. 'I have an angel by my side. I always have.'
She ended by promising to keep making Parton proud, adding: 'We're in this loss together and we will see her in all of the most beautiful things.'
Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus' Family Tree Had More Than One Branch
Godmother and goddaughter only tell half the story.
Parton became Cyrus' godmother after befriending Billy Ray Cyrus while touring together in the early 1990s. Later on, she popped up as Aunt Dolly on Hannah Montana, helping introduce a generation of Disney kids to the woman behind the legend. Soon everyone knew that her big smile, heart, and personality were only rivalled by her even bigger hair and vocal range.
Their relationship followed Miley Cyrus well beyond Hannah's blonde wig and sparkly walk-in closet. The pair performed together, hosted New Year's Eve together, and even shared another pop culture universe through a new rendition of 'Jolene'. Turns out Hannah Montana and Dolly Parton had so much more than an iconic blonde wig in common.
Then came a family-tree plot twist worthy of television.
Ancestry research reportedly revealed in 2024 that Parton and Cyrus were actually seventh cousins, once removed, through their shared ancestor John Brickey.
The discovery surprised Parton, who had long considered Cyrus family anyway. She previously called herself Miley's 'fairy godmother' and described their bond as that of a mother and daughter.
Evidently, Aunt Dolly was more literal than anyone realised.
The Celebrity Comment Chain of Comfort and Love
The Instagram comments soon became a collective hug.
'Miley, I know this loss will be so hard for you,' Donatella Versace wrote. 'Dolly was a godmother to us all and we will all miss her.'
Katy Perry told Cyrus she had been thinking about her since hearing the news: 'Love you very much.'
Zac Posen perhaps summed up the strange distance between public and private grief best: 'The world lost an icon. You lost yours. Sending you so much love.❤️🕊️🤍🕊️🤍🦋'.
Kerry Washington called Cyrus' tribute 'beautiful', while Miranda Kerr sent love. MTV, Spotify, Lindsay Lohan, and Linda Evangelista also joined the wave of support.
Fans had their own shared memory: meeting Dolly through Miley.
'Thank you for introducing her to our generation,' one wrote.
Another recalled first seeing Parton on Hannah Montana: 'Thank you all for sharing her with us!!!!'
Long before they knew the family tree, an entire generation already knew her by the same name Miley did: Aunt Dolly.
