surrounding conspiracy theories Online speculation about singer and philanthropist Dolly Parton’s reported death has ranged from claims involving a devil’s ritual to allegations of cloning. However, one claim has gained the most attention: the unsupported theory that Parton’s death was caused by “turbo cancer” linked to a COVID-19 vaccine.
There is no evidence that Dolly Parton’s death was connected to a COVID-19 vaccine. According to a statement from her family, Parton, 80, died following a “short battle with cancer.” In May, Parton shared that she was responding well to treatment related to her immune and digestive systems.
In 2020, Parton donated $1 million to support vaccine research. The following year, she publicly received a COVID-19 vaccine while singing a rewritten version of her hit song Jolene. “Vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, vaccine, please, don’t hold back,” Parton sang in the video.
In the days following reports of her death, several prominent right-wing conspiracy theorists and MAGA-aligned commentators claimed—or strongly implied—that the vaccine was responsible.
“Was Dolly Parton another victim of the coronavirus vaccine?” far-right radio host Wayne Allyn Root recently asked. In a post on X, he referenced an interview with President Donald Trump and posted that Parton had promoted vaccination before dying of cancer. Root described the claim as a possible case of “turbo cancer,” a term that has been widely circulated in vaccine misinformation despite lacking scientific support. Earlier this month, Root interviewed Trump and urged him to declare a national emergency during the midterm elections. Trump replied, “Stranger things have happened.”
“Dolly Parton thought she was doing the right thing by supporting Moderna’s mRNA COVID-19 vaccine,” Toby Rogers of the Brownstone Institute wrote. “But there’s a good chance it killed her.” The institute was founded by Jeffrey Tucker, who has ties to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has faced criticism over statements that undermine confidence in vaccines.
Kennedy has not publicly commented on Parton’s reported death. In recent days, however, he has blamed coronavirus lockdown policies as measles-related deaths were reported after two unvaccinated people died in Pennsylvania.
Valerie Ann Smith, a health influencer with approximately 273,000 followers on X, also shared several posts about Parton’s death that suggested the COVID-19 vaccine was responsible.
“Shortly after the injection, she developed severe autoimmune disease, liver and kidney problems,” Smith wrote. “The cause of death was… cancer.” No evidence was provided to establish a connection between those conditions, cancer and vaccination.
“Dolly Parton was as universally loved as possible,” Travis View, co-host of the QAnon Anonymous podcast, told WIRED. “That’s exactly what made her a target for conspiracy theorists online. Many anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists opposed Parton because she encouraged people to get vaccinated and helped fund vaccine development.”
The vaccine conspiracy theory has spread beyond X. Facebook users have also circulated unsupported claims about Parton’s death, including speculation based on her final public appearances.
One widely shared claim focused on a video posted weeks before her death. In it, Parton thanked pop star Taylor Swift and NFL player Travis Kelce for their reported $2 million donation to the Imagination Library, Parton’s childhood literacy initiative. She also jokingly asked whether the couple could give her their “firstborn.”
Source: www.wired.com