An increasing number of states are facing measles outbreaks, as the country experiences its highest incidence of the disease in over three decades.

Maryland has reported a measles outbreak across three counties, with 14 new cases confirmed just this Monday, raising the state’s total for 2025 to 31 cases.

Out of these, 27 infections are in individuals who have not been vaccinated, all occurring within the last six weeks.

The outbreaks are distributed among St. Mary’s County with 13 cases, Carroll County with eight cases, Cecil County with five, and Charles County with one case.

“Measles is highly contagious, and we are actively coordinating with healthcare providers and local health departments to assist affected areas, manage cases, and prevent further spread,” stated Dr. Meena Seshamani, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health.

‘The overall risk remains low if you are fully vaccinated. We ask that Marylanders join us in our effort to help keep our youngest safe and protect those who are most at risk. Checking your vaccination status and getting vaccinated if you are not up-to-date is the simplest and most effective way to do that.’

No public exposures have been identified in the 14 new cases in Maryland, however, a growing outbreak in Iowa may have potentially exposed thousands at nearly a dozen locations across the state. 

Two more cases have been confirmed in the southern Iowa outbreak, bringing the number to 17. 

And there are now nine locations where people may have been exposed to the virus, including Natural Grocer’s Clive and Menards in Clive, Iowa; Vero Health Center and Office Depot in West Des moines, Iowa; Menards in Des Moines, Iowa; Pizza Ranch in Ottumwa, Iowa; and Wells Hometown Drug, JR Feed and Supply anad Sunnyside Grocery, in Bloomfield, Iowa.

The outbreaks come just as the first deaths of 2026 from the measles were reported on Tuesday.

Officials reported the two deaths occurred in unvaccinated patients in Pennsylvania. They are the state’s first measles deaths in 35 years.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health confirmed both individuals were residents of Lancaster County, about 60 miles outside of Philadelphia. No additional details about those who died were provided.

‘My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss,’ Dr Debra Bogen, the state’s secretary of health, said in a statement.

‘Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don’t fully understand the potential severity of the illness.’

Pennsylvania has recorded 393 measles cases across 28 counties so far in 2026. Nationwide, cases have reached their highest in more than three decades.

ALSO READ: Australia Faces Unprecedented Threat as Deadly Bird Flu Shatters Previous Thresholds

As of August 20, the CDC has recorded 2,777 confirmed cases of the measles. This is the most cases recorded since 1991, which saw 9,643 cases.

Last year, there were 2,289 cases and three deaths, according to the CDC.

The vast majority of cases in both 2025 and 2026 were in individuals who had not received both doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The shot is typically given once between ages 12 and 15 months and again between ages four and six. Two doses slash the risk of measles infection by 97 percent, according to the CDC.

For unvaccinated people, nine in ten of those exposed to the virus will get infected.

‘We want to ensure every Pennsylvanian has the information they need to protect themselves, their loved ones and their communities,’ Bogen said.

‘As a physician, I want to make sure that people understand that the MMR vaccine is safe and provides the best protection we have against measles.’ 

Measles, which is highly infectious, is characterized by cough, fever, a distinctive blotchy rash that starts on the face before spreading down the body and tiny white spots inside the mouth called Koplik spots.

The virus spreads through direct contact with infectious droplets or through the air. Patients with a measles infection are contagious from four days before the rash through four days after the rash appears. Enclosed areas like airports and planes are extremely risky locations for disease transmission.

It first invades the respiratory system, then spreads to the lymph nodes and throughout the body. As a result, the virus can affect the lungs, brain and central nervous system.

While measles sometimes causes milder symptoms, including diarrhea, sore throat and achiness, it leads to pneumonia in roughly six percent of otherwise healthy children, and more often in malnourished children.

Though the brain swelling that measles can trigger is rare, occurring in about one in 1,000 cases, it is deadly in roughly 15 to 20 percent of those who develop it, while about 20 percent are left with permanent neurological damage, such as brain damage, deafness or intellectual disability.

Measles also severely damages a child’s immune system, making them susceptible to other potentially devastating bacterial and viral infections they were previously protected against.

Before MMR vaccines became available in the 1960s, measles caused epidemics with up to 2.6 million global deaths every year. By 2023, that number had fallen to roughly 107,000 deaths.

Nationwide, 92.4 percent of kindergarteners are fully vaccinated against measles, below the CDC’s 95 percent threshold for herd immunity. In Pennsylvania, the MMR vaccination rate is 94.6, while rates in Maryland and Iowa are 96 and 90 percent, respectively.

Exemptions are also on the rise at 4.2 percent, up 17 percent from 1.6 percent just over a decade ago.

Authorities made a significant interception on Tuesday, halting a shipment of approximately 1,800 pounds of what is suspected to be black-market marijuana from California. This substantial haul was reportedly on its way to two major cities: Atlanta and Orlando.

According to the Butts County Sheriff’s Office, the haul began its journey in Sacramento, a place where recreational marijuana use is legal. Sheriff Gary Long stated that roughly half of the confiscated marijuana was destined for Atlanta, while the other half was meant for Orlando.

The Sheriff’s office has kept details about the interception under wraps, including the precise location and method of capture, any arrests made, or potential charges filed.

Long used the seizure to make his case that legalizing marijuana does not eliminate illegal sales.

“But here is the reality: the black market isn’t going away,” Long said in a press release announcing the seizure.

Marijuana laws vary among the three states connected to the shipment. California allows recreational marijuana, while Georgia and Florida allow marijuana only for certain medical uses.

“The illegal marijuana trade does not stop at the state line,” Long said.

Long said Mexican drug-trafficking organizations and other criminal groups continue to move large amounts of marijuana across state lines. The sheriff’s office did not say the shipment seized Tuesday was connected to a cartel or any other criminal organization.

The sheriff also argued that illegal sellers can undercut licensed marijuana businesses because they don’t pay taxes or licensing fees or have to follow testing and other regulatory requirements.

“As long as there is demand and money to be made, illegal dealers will continue to operate,” Long said.

Long urged Georgia lawmakers to look closely at what has happened in states that have legalized marijuana before making changes to Georgia’s laws.

He pointed to California, which has changed its cannabis tax and regulatory system while continuing to fight illegal marijuana sales. He also cited past ballot initiatives filed in Colorado seeking to repeal constitutional provisions that legalized recreational marijuana, though those efforts did not reverse legalization.

“That should be a warning to Georgia,” Long said. “We should learn from the experiences of states that have already gone down this road instead of repeating the same mistakes and then spending years trying to fix them.”

Long said his statement was not meant to settle the question of whether marijuana should be legal. Instead, he argued that lawmakers need to consider how illegal sales and trafficking would fit into any changes to Georgia law.

“Georgia, let’s get it right the first time,” Long said.

Dear Abby: I’m a 63-year-old man caught in a romantic quandary. Over the past four years, I believed that my 57-year-old fiancée and I were in an exclusive relationship. However, I’ve recently discovered she has been spending time with another man, a friend she chose not to tell me about. They frequently meet for lunches, dinners, and various activities.

She insists they are simply friends and reveals that he is her attorney, who has shown interest in pursuing a romantic relationship. Her omission feels like a breach of trust, and I’m struggling with both her honesty and our relationship’s future. She doesn’t see the incident as significant. What do you advise? — Simmering Suspicion in Florida

Dear Simmering Suspicion: For someone who’s engaged, interacting privately with a man keen on romance is far from appropriate. Her secrecy and trivialization of the situation only escalate its seriousness. Caution: If you decide to take this relationship down the aisle, you may find yourself needing legal counsel sooner than you’d like.

Dear Abby: My marriage of 34 years has faced a unique strain for the last decade. My husband and I took in his brother “Clay,” now in his 60s, after long-term effects from PCP left him needing care. Living with Clay has transformed our home life into a constant challenge.

Clay has driven away one of our pets, and his behavior is erratic and disruptive. He’s dishonest and has a habit of stealing from us. Basic hygiene eludes him, he refuses to tidy up, and he leaves all household chores to me, the only woman here. His expectations have long been ingrained, and his indolence is exasperating.

RELATED: NJ Diner Shocked by Offensive Birthday Message in Dessert

I want a divorce. My husband will not put Clay into an assisted living facility or a mental institution. I love my husband, but I refuse to be disrespected by anyone. I told him I wouldn’t ever allow any member of my family to disrespect him the way I, our marriage and our home have been disrespected by his brother. Abby, would you divorce your husband for subjecting you to this daily living hell for 10 years? — Done in Montana

Dear Done: I certainly wouldn’t have put up with your mess of a brother-in-law for an entire decade! Still, if you are considering divorce, you must mention that to your husband. Offer him a final opportunity to make other arrangements for his brother. Be clear that if he continues to value Clay’s comfort over yours, the marriage is over.

Dear Abby: I am a boy in South Korea who likes boys. When I was in middle school, I loved girls just like everyone else, but it changed after entering high school. When I see boys in school now, I have started to feel the charm of them. These days, I’m scared that if I reveal it, I’ll be mocked by my friends and others. What should I do? — Not Straight in Seoul, S. Korea

Dear Not Straight: If you don’t feel comfortable or safe coming out to your friends, it’s OK to wait. All of this gets a bit easier after you graduate, especially if you are able to attend a university. For now, focus on your studies so you can make that happen. To find gay or gay-friendly people to talk to outside your school, look up an organization called Dding Dong at ddingdong.kr.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren. For nearly four decades, Jeanne Phillips penned the column, which was founded in 1956 by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at or P.O. Box 270135, Kansas City, MO 64127.

Actress Justine Bateman didn’t mince words, calling the courthouse supporters of Lindsay Clancy, a mother accused of murder, ‘broken’.

On Tuesday, the 60-year-old actress addressed the troubling situation by posting heartfelt photos on Instagram, depicting her tender moments with her own children. Her post coincided with a groundswell of backing for Clancy, visible both at the courthouse and across social platforms.

She captioned the post with a message: “In light of the unsettling and grim case, along with motherhood and baby-themed ‘support videos’, consider this an alternative narrative,” she expressed.

“Mothers who genuinely adore their children vastly outnumber the troubling instances we’ve recently witnessed. #ILoveMyKids,” she continued.

Justine Bateman, the sister of fellow actor Jason Bateman, shares two children, Duke and Gianetta, with her husband Mark Fluent. The couple has been together since their marriage in 2001.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Bateman for comment. 

The actress is known for her outspoken views.

Last year she accused Meghan Markle and Prince Harry of being ‘disaster tourists’ after they popped up as volunteers during the Los Angeles wildfires.

Bateman rose to fame as a teenager on the sitcom Family Ties, starring as the Keaton daughter Mallory for seven seasons from 1982 until the show ended in 1989.

Her television career also includes her work on Men Behaving Badly, Californication and Desperate Housewives.

Her latest post comes as Clancy’s trial nears its conclusion.  

Clancy, 36, killed her children, Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan, at her home in Duxbury, Massachusetts, in 2023.

She strangled the children with exercise bands and then allegedly attempted to kill herself, but her efforts failed and left her paralyzed and in a wheelchair for life.

Clancy has admitted to killing her children but pleaded not guilty to murder by reason of insanity, citing postpartum psychosis, and is seeking to be committed to a state mental health facility rather than face a prison sentence.

Prosecutors, however, claimed that Clancy carefully planned the January 2023 killings and contrived to get her husband out of the house so she could carry them out. 

On Tuesday, the final witness took the stand as Clancy waits to learn her fate after five weeks of grueling testimony.

FBI forensic psychiatrist Dr Gregory Saathoff testified as the prosecution’s last rebuttal witness in the murder trial.

Judge William Sullivan then called for the jury to be dismissed for the day.

He advised that the evidence will likely conclude on Wednesday, and then he will meet with the attorneys.

Sullivan anticipates closing arguments on Thursday, after which the jury will begin deliberations.

Last week around 400 women gathered in solidarity with Clancy in Plymouth, Massachusetts, and cheered and clapped as a sheriff’s department van carrying the defendant rolled past.

Some had driven overnight from New York City with their young children. Others traveled seven hours from Maine to attend what is being dubbed ‘America’s saddest murder trial.’

One pregnant mother who attended with a friend and their three small children told The Daily Mail: ‘The healthcare failed her, and that’s just tragic.’

‘We’re both mothers and both experienced postpartum anxiety and depression,’ she said. 

‘It’s scary to speak out. You don’t want to get judged and you don’t want somebody to take your child.’ 

Several women said they felt they could have been Clancy. Many had struggled with postpartum depression or anxiety and said the mother-of-three’s experience of reaching out for help only to feel unsupported was painfully familiar.

The obsession with criminal trials is not new, but it is a growing phenomenon. In recent years, other high-profile trials have drawn devotees to social media and courthouses.

Last year, in nearby Canton, when Karen Read went on trial for a second time over the death of her boyfriend, Boston officer John O’Keefe, she came to symbolize a revolt against police corruption.

When Bryan Kohberger was sentenced last summer, another group of women who travel to trials together camped outside the courthouse from 9pm the night before.

And during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard trial, fans dressed as pirates outside the Virginia courthouse.

In a chilling reminder of the complexities surrounding immigration and crime, federal authorities have urged Miami-area law enforcement to comply with a detainer request for William Serrano Domenech. The illegal immigrant, already notorious for his criminal record, is now facing charges of murder after allegedly shooting a man in a fit of jealousy.

William Serrano Domenech, aged 49, currently resides in a Miami-Dade County jail. He stands accused of the August 17 killing of Raul Aballe, aged 42, as confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security on Tuesday.

“His criminal record is extensive, with convictions in Florida and Michigan for drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. Moreover, he has faced previous arrests in New Mexico and Tennessee for aggravated assault, theft, and resisting arrest,” stated Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in a press release to News Media. Mullin criticized the current administration by saying, “This dangerous criminal should have never been in our country. If he hadn’t been released from ICE custody in 2023 by the Biden Administration, Raul Aballe might still be alive today.”

According to authorities, Domenech, a Cuban national, was spending time with a witness on the night of the incident when Raul Aballe unexpectedly arrived. Tensions flared, leading to a heated argument between the two. The confrontation rapidly deteriorated into violence as Domenech reportedly began to physically assault Aballe, first with punches and slaps.

Domenech allegedly pulled a gun out of a fanny pack and opened fire, striking Aballe in the stomach. Aballe was taken to a hospital where he later died.

Domenech allegedly fled the scene, but he was arrested the next day. He allegedly admitted to the killing and said he was jealous of Aballe’s relationship with the witness, according to authorities.

READ MORE: Kate’s Message to Harry & Meghan Ahead of UK Return

The witness reportedly told investigators that Aballe was not armed and didn’t initiate the fight.

Domenech is charged with second-degree murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) lodged a detainer with Miami-Dade authorities the day after Domenech’s arrest.

His criminal history spans at least four states for a litany of offenses, DHS said. That includes a conviction for a weapons offense and arrests on charges of vehicle theft, burglary, driving without a license, and driving with a suspended license in Florida, as well as prior arrests on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment, and bribery of a witness in New Mexico.

In addition, Domenech has prior arrests for unlawful possession of a weapon, resisting arrest, and theft in Tennessee, and convictions for possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute an unknown quantity of marijuana, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and felon in possession of a firearm in Michigan, authorities said.

Domenech allegedly told authorities he entered the United States through Florida in 1995. A deportation order was issued by a judge in 2002.

However, when ICE took him into custody in 2023, he was released back onto the streets by the Biden administration, DHS said.

“ICE has lodged a detainer and will work with our partners in Florida to ensure that this killer is never again allowed back onto our streets,” Mullin said.

A New Jersey musician expressed her shock and disappointment after an upscale dining experience took an unexpected turn. The singer-songwriter, who uses a wheelchair, was appalled when her birthday dessert was delivered with an insensitive message at a stylish restaurant.

Antonia Sinbaldi celebrated her 29th birthday in June with loved ones at Blu on the Hudson in Weehawken, NJ. As part of the festivities, she ordered an Apple Tart Tatin for a sweet ending to her meal.

However, the celebratory mood soured when the dessert arrived with “Happy Wheel Chair Birthday” scrawled in sauce on the plate.

Sinbaldi documented the incident with a video during her outing, capturing the moment she received the puff pastry dessert, topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled in salted caramel, along with the hurtful message.

On Instagram, she voiced her concerns, questioning, “Not to complain about a fairly new restaurant in my town, but why would you make my dessert say this?” She added that the message was more upsetting to her friend accompanying her. “I would never expect that in my town,” she noted, reflecting on the incident.

Sinbaldi has used a motorized wheelchair and has needed a ventilator after she suffered a cervical spinal injury when a drunk driver struck the car she was in at the age of 2.

She was baffled by the message, and her body reacted faster than her brain.

“Body started shaking, body started spasming. My body reacted faster than my mouth or my mind,” she told WNBC on Tuesday.

After the initial shock, Sinbaldi’s party confronted the management of the Weehawken establishment — which opened in 2023 — and questioned the message.

ALSO READ: Dolly Parton Unveiled: Iconic Moments Captured in Photos

The party was offered complimentary drinks, she claimed.

“It offended me. This whole thing doesn’t sound real,” Sinbaldi told the outlet.

The restaurant said the message was a misunderstanding between staffers after the order was placed, indicating the birthday dessert was for Sinbaldi, the diner with the wheelchair.

“We sincerely apologize to the guest and to everyone who was hurt or offended by this incident which took place on June 20, 2026. Treating every guest with dignity, respect, and care is fundamental to who we are as a company,” the restaurant said in a statement to WCBS.

“Our standard operating procedure is to use table and seat numbers on tickets to identify where each dish should be delivered. In this instance, the word ‘wheelchair’ was used as a reference to identify where a birthday dessert with a candle should be delivered,” the management said. “Unfortunately, that notation was misunderstood and was written on the plate itself. There was absolutely no malicious or disrespectful intent behind the notation. However, we fully understand how seeing that word written on a plate could be deeply hurtful and upsetting.”

Sinbaldi didn’t fully agree with the restaurant’s sentiment, calling it a “bs response.”

“My chair is not my identity, Sinbaldi wrote on Instagram. “Like I said, my body was reacting faster than my mind so I couldn’t leave that fast.”

Sinbaldi, an advocate for disability rights, asked for people to learn from the birthday mishap.

“Don’t bring my disability [up] in every sentence, is what people, they should know,” she told the outlet.

Just four days prior to the heartbreaking news of her passing at 80 on Tuesday, the beloved country music icon Dolly Parton offered fans a final glimpse into her world beyond the glitter and glamour.

In an intimate exchange with People magazine, Parton candidly revealed the toll that recent events had taken on her. Having lost her husband Carl Dean in March of the previous year at 82, she found herself navigating the depths of sorrow following nearly six decades of marriage.

“I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl,” she confided to People last Friday, shedding light on the challenges she faced.

Her heartache deepened in July this year with the loss of her older brother, Coy “Denver” Parton, which added to her emotional burden.

As she briefly touched upon the trials of the past year, those close to her noted an increase in her reclusiveness and a growing tendency to keep her health struggles under wraps in recent months.

Insiders say Parton had all but retreated behind the gates of her sprawling Tennessee compound, allowing the details of her worsening sickness only to be known by an exceptionally tight circle of friends and family.

Indeed, she even went as far as to dismiss concerns about her health during the People magazine interview last week. ‘It’s not like I haven’t been through hard times with my health,’ she said. ‘I’m still healin’, I’m still workin’.’

But now, insiders have told the Daily Mail for the first time just how sick Parton had been in her final months.

‘Her health problems were much worse than she was willing to tell fans, obviously, and she was bad off for many months,’ one source said. ‘She didn’t want the world to know that she was very sick.’

‘Dolly only confided in a very small, intimate circle what she was going through,’ said another insider.

‘She publicly tried to blame her illness on how she let herself go after Carl passed last year. It’s true his death took its toll severely on Dolly, but she’s been sick and receiving treatments for months.’

Parton was admitted to a Nashville hospital on Friday and, late on Tuesday, her team confirmed that she had succumbed after a ‘brief battle’ with cancer.

Indomitably glamorous, the country superstar never wanted her adoring fans to see her fade.

‘When Dolly told People [magazine] she was still working and healing, she knew her life was almost over,’ one source said.

‘She tried to reassure her legions of fans that she wasn’t critically ill. But she knew her time was almost up. She was being her brave Dolly self, not wanting to let her fans down.’

Back in May, Parton had been forced to cancel an upcoming Las Vegas residency and took to Instagram to explain – in full make-up and with her hair coiffed to perfection.

‘The good news is, I’m responding really well to meds and treatments, and I’m improving every day,’ she said.

But it wasn’t the full story.

‘When she made her recent video telling fans she was receiving treatment but trying to reassure them she was OK, she looked just like the usual Dolly everyone loved,’ a source said.

‘And, underneath one of her famous wigs and after hours preparing her in makeup, she did indeed look camera-ready.’

‘It was tough for Dolly not to play the sick card when she knew she didn’t have long to go. But she was an actress as well as a singer, and she pulled it off incredibly, fooling almost everyone. She didn’t want her fans to worry. She wanted them to see the Dolly they’ve loved for decades.’

Right to the very end, she remained determined to protect that polished image.

‘Dolly occasionally popped up on social media and looked OK as she downplayed her illness, but she was not OK,’ another source said.

‘She relied heavily on filters, makeup and lighting to look good. It was a top priority for her.’

But as her health declined rapidly, she withdrew further into herself.

‘She really didn’t leave her home in Tennessee for the past year. She stayed inside,’ an insider said.

‘The house is massive, and there are vast grounds, so she didn’t need to leave. Six months ago, I was told that she was not taking on any new projects, that she had to focus on her health, and was not able to travel or have visitors. But no one would say what she had. There were whispers it was cancer, but no one would confirm it.’

RELATED: Power Restored in Gary, Indiana After NIPSCO Outage as Tornado Threat Looms Tomorrow

Publicly, Parton had attributed various recent missed appearances to a handful of manageable ailments, including digestive problems and kidney stones.

‘We knew it was much more serious than that,’ a source said. ‘But it was “shhhh, don’t ask” from her circle.’

In her final weeks, it is understood that Parton was largely confined to her bed.

‘Her last few days were spent in bed. She was not doing well,’ a source said. ‘She had lost all her hair, which she didn’t have much of anyway as she relied on wigs most of her life. And she was very thin. She was skinny.’

It is said that family were by her side.

The warning signs had been mounting in recent the months. Before the Caesars Palace residency cancellation in May, Parton had missed a concert celebrating her 80th birthday at Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry music venue.

A scheduled appearance at Dollywood, her Tennessee amusement park, was also pulled.

On June 24, she made her final public appearance, surprising fans for a ribbon-cutting at the newly opened Dolly’s Tennessean Travel Stop. The Cornersville truck stop features a restaurant and sells Parton-themed merch and cups of ‘Ambition Coffee’, inspired by her iconic ‘9 to 5’ song.

‘She really tried to be brave [at the truck stop opening], but she was too sick to do anything,’ the source said. ‘She turned down invites left and right.’

While at home, Parton remained focused on DOLLY: A True Original Musical, an autobiographical Broadway show based on her remarkable life and still due to open on what would have been her 81st birthday (January 19, 2027).

‘She was working on DOLLY: A True Original Musical in New York, but could not travel to check on it,’ an insider said. ‘She really cared about the project and did not want to jeopardize it.’

Parton hailed from one of country music’s most famously close-knit families, growing up with 11 siblings in rural and poor Tennessee. Among them was younger sister Stella Parton, now 77, who also forged a career as a country singer.

Her loved ones remained fiercely protective.

‘They never spoke negatively. They didn’t talk much about her health issues,’ concert promoter Arny Granat, who worked with Parton for years, told the Daily Mail.

And as Parton’s cancer worsened, the singer is said to have found comfort in those closest to her.

‘Her sister was always there for her,’ another insider said. ‘She is very sweet and nurturing. She was by her side all the time.’

News of Parton’s death has also left her goddaughter, popstar Miley Cyrus, devastated.

‘Miley is, as you’d expect, shell-shocked by the news,’ a source told the Daily Mail. ‘It is as deep a grief as you’d imagine, as Miley has always seen Dolly as the strongest woman. The fact she is gone doesn’t seem real.

‘The immediate family was privy to her actual health struggles and the cancer, so this wasn’t out of the realm of possibility, but everyone thought she’d battle through it.’ 

Parton, who never had children, shared a particularly close relationship with Cyrus, appearing on her Hannah Montana TV show and later singing alongside her for various special musical performances.

Now, attention will inevitably turn to the extraordinary fortune and business empire Parton leaves behind.

Her net worth has regularly been estimated at between $450 million and $650 million, built through music royalties, songwriting, film and television, books, investments and her stake in the Dollywood empire.

Details of her will and estate plan have not been made public.

She is survived by six of her siblings, as well as a huge charitable legacy led by the Dollywood Foundation and her Imagination Library.

For family and fans alike it will surely be some comfort that, in her final months, the woman who spent a lifetime making the world smile was determined not to let the world see her suffer.

‘She made it seem like she would get better,’ a source said. ‘But that was Dolly. She really didn’t want to share bad news. She was always up and up.’