Conspiracy theories surrounding the death of country music icon Dolly Parton have dominated the internet, with some alleging she was a victim of “turbo cancer” caused by the COVID-19 vaccine.

While Parton’s family have confirmed her death was due to cancer, influential right-wing figures have suggested the vaccine may have played a role. In 2020, she donated $1 million to support vaccine research and publicly encouraged fans to get vaccinated, even filming a video where she sang an adapted version of her hit song, “Jolene.”

Valerie Anne Smith, a health influencer with 273,000 followers on X, claimed Parton developed severe autoimmune, liver and kidney issues after receiving the vaccine. Theories also circulated around a video in which she appeared to make a devil-horns sign, suggesting a satanic connection. These theories highlight the enduring power of conspiracy theories, even when faced with factual evidence to the contrary.

Travis View, cohost of the QAnon Anonymous podcast, explained that Parton’s advocacy for vaccines made her a target for online conspiracists. Anti-vaccine conspiracy theorists, he said, despised her for encouraging others to get vaccinated, even funding vaccine development.

The proliferation of these theories on platforms like X and Facebook underscores the challenge of dispelling misinformation, especially when it comes to public health.