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Country music legend Dolly Parton reveals she turned down Presidential Medal of Freedom twice

Dolly Parton
Posted at 12:41 PM, Feb 02, 2021
and last updated 2021-02-02 13:41:08-05

Country music legend Dolly Parton recently revealed that she was offered the Presidential Medal of Freedom twice but turned it down both times.

In an interview with Hoda Kotb on the "Today" show on Monday, Parton revealed that the Trump administration had offered her the prestigious award twice. The first time she didn't accept it because her husband was ill, Parton said, and the second time she declined it because she didn't want to travel amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Parton added that she has heard from President Joe Biden, but she said if she accepted it, it could turn into her "doing politics," so she isn't sure.

Parton also believes she doesn't deserve the award, which is the nation's highest civilian honor.

Aside from being the queen of country music, Parton donated $1 million to help Moderna develop its COVID-19 vaccine.

She also has donated over a million books through her literacy non-profit Imagination Library.