NEED TO KNOW
- Dolly Parton died aged 80 following a short battle with cancer.
- Her passing was confirmed on August 25 (August 26 AEST).
- Keith Urban and Dolly Parton performed together several times over the years, and also recorded a duet together.
Nicole Kidman has extended a peace offering to Keith Urban, following the news of Dolly Parton’s death.
The late country singer-songwriter died aged 80 on August 25 (August 26 AEST), following a short battle with cancer.
Since then, celebrities have shared their tributes for the Grammy winner, including Australian actress Nicole, who knew Dolly through her country music star ex, Keith Urban.
Taking to Instagram, she shared a rare family photograph with her now ex-husband and their daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, posing with the legendary singer.
At the bottom of the photo, she gushed, “We will always love you, Dolly”, in reference to her legendary song, I Will Always Love You.
New Idea understands that Nicole posted the family photograph as a show of support for Keith, who is no doubt mourning Dolly’s death with the rest of the world.
He shared his own statement via his Instagram story, which read, “Heartbroken today. Dolly Parton. Honestly… I have no words right now.”
“Nicole knows how much she meant to Keith,” a source exclusively tells us.
“It’s only natural for her to reach out and extend an olive branch – she’s genuinely worried for him. Dolly meant the world to them as a family, and she and the girls have a natural urge to grieve alongside him.”
Throughout his career, Keith had the privilege of performing with Dolly several times, and they even recorded a duet of The Twelfth of Never for her 2005 album, Those Were The Days.
Before her passing, Dolly praised the country artist for his songwriting abilities and said he reminded her of her family.
Dolly was close to the country singer’s heart, with Nicole not wanting him to go through his grief “alone”.
The Grammy winner was also incredibly close to Nicole and Keith’s two daughters.
“Dolly was like an aunt to Sunday and Faith – she was part of the Nashville family,” the source says. “But as much as Nicole and the girls adored her, Dolly was only there because of her respect and admiration for Keith.”
Nicole’s decision to share the rare family photo, taken in 2023 at the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala, comes almost a year after the couple announced their split.
The couple finalised their divorce in Nashville in January 2026.
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