Kevin Costner Left “Breathless” As He Shares Emotional Reaction To Dolly Parton’s Death
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Kevin Costner has joined the millions of people around the world who are mourning the loss of Dolly Parton following her death on August 25, 2026.
The news of Dolly’s passing was shared by her nephew, Bryan Seaver, in a video posted to her official social media pages. Later that day, her team shared that Dolly died following a brief battle with cancer.
Because of how influential and beloved Dolly was, it didn’t take long for tributes to come pouring in from fans, brands, and famous figures. These tributes have all highlighted Dolly’s generosity, kindness, and signature sense of humor.
One of the most moving tributes came from actor Kevin Costner. He shared an emotional message on his Instagram Story, writing:
“Oh my goodness. Where did you go Dolly? We are all breathless. The feeling of who you are and who you were are so close.”
He continued to write, “We have all stopped for a moment to think of the miracle that was you.”
Kevin went on to mention Dolly’s song “I Will Always Love You,” which Whitney Houston famously recorded for 1992’s The Bodyguard, with Kevin starring alongside her and serving as a producer. The former Yellowstone star thanked Dolly for “trusting” him and Whitney with the song all those years ago.
He ended his message by writing, “We are all at a loss this moment. Forgive us but we will miss you so much. So much.”
See Kevin Costner’s tribute to Dolly Parton below.
Kevin Costner And Dolly Parton’s Friendship, Explained
Although Dolly Parton and Kevin Costner never collaborated directly, the inclusion of “I Will Always Love You” in The Bodyguard bonded them for life. In fact, it was Kevin who championed the song’s inclusion in the film.
In a 2001 interview with Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross, Dolly explained that they had originally planned to use another song in the movie, but those plans fell through.
As Kevin later detailed in a 2009 interview with ABC, that song was “What Becomes of the Brokenhearted.” But it had already been used in another movie that year (Fried Green Tomatoes), which is why they pivoted.
Dolly said they “were in desperate need of a song” after that. Kevin’s secretary mentioned “I Will Always Love You” as an option, and the rest is history.
“And she brought it into [Kevin],” Dolly remembered. “And they said he loved it. And so they chose it.”
Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” holds the Guinness World Record for the best-selling single by a female artist. Since Dolly wrote the song, Whitney’s recording made her millions of dollars in royalties.
Whitney passed away in 2012, at the age of 48. Honor both her and Dolly by listening to her sing “I Will Always Love You” in The Bodyguard, below.
