Fact Check: Did Dolly Parton leave the rights and royalties to ‘Jolene’ to Miley Cyrus?

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A viral post circulating on X falsely asserts that Dolly Parton bequeathed the rights and royalties of her iconic anthem ‘Jolene’ to Miley Cyrus in her final will.

Parton passed away on August 25, 2026, at the age of 80 following a brief battle with cancer. Throughout her life, she maintained a famously close relationship with her goddaughter, Cyrus. The dynamic duo frequently teamed up on stage to perform ‘Jolene’, most notably at the 2019 Grammy Awards.

Claim: Dolly Parton left the rights and royalties to ‘Jolene’ to Miley Cyrus

The rumor originated from an X account named Mileystats, which posted that Parton had officially handed over the rights to ‘Jolene’ to Cyrus.

Furthermore, the post fabricated a touching quote attributed to the country legend: “The song became hers from the very first moment she sang it. She will always be my girl.”

The connection between the two superstars runs deep. Parton became Cyrus’s godmother after Miley’s father, Billy Ray Cyrus, asked her to take on the role prior to Miley’s birth in 1992. Parton often mentioned that she had known the younger pop star even before she was born.

While they never held a traditional, formal godparent ceremony, their bond strengthened profoundly over the years, with Parton frequently acting as a maternal mentor to Cyrus.

Beyond their personal ties, they shared an undeniable musical chemistry. ‘Jolene’ remains one of Parton’s most celebrated tracks, and Cyrus has covered it on numerous occasions, sometimes alongside the writer herself.

Interestingly, genealogical research by Ancestry revealed that Parton and Cyrus are actually distant relatives, sharing common ancestry that makes them seventh cousins once removed.

Given their remarkably close ties both as family and fellow artists, it is no surprise that Parton’s passing sparked immediate public curiosity regarding the distribution of her estate and music catalog.

Fact Check: The claim is false

Ultimately, the rumor is entirely untrue. There is zero credible evidence to support the idea that Dolly Parton left the rights and royalties to ‘Jolene’ to Miley Cyrus in her will. Additionally, the sentimental quote attributed to Parton regarding the song has no official or verified origin.

To date, no public records, trust documents, or copies of Parton’s will have been released that detail her beneficiaries or state how her expansive music catalog will be managed. Comprehensive reviews and independent fact-checks have found no confirmation that Cyrus received ownership of Parton’s catalog or any individual master recordings.

The viral speculation likely gained traction because of the pair’s well-known godmother-goddaughter relationship, paired with the fact that Parton and her late husband, Carl Dean, never had children of their own. However, holding a godparent relationship does not automatically confer legal inheritance rights.

A deeper look into the viral quotation also turns up no official documentation linking it to Parton, pointing instead to social media fabrication. At this time, there is no factual basis to suggest Cyrus inherited ‘Jolene’ or its associated royalties.