Celebrity4 min(s) read
Vin Diesel has divided the internet after sharing a bizarre video tribute to the late Dolly Parton.
As widely reported, the legendary singer died at the age of 80 following a "brief battle with cancer."
The country music legend's publicist, Marcel Pariseau, said she "departed her Earthly life today at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center surrounded by loved ones".
Tributes have since poured in from fans and celebrities, including the Fast and Furious star, whose unusual tribute has divided opinion online.
The 59-year-old posted a video on Instagram featuring a black-and-white photo of Parton and a simple prayer hands emoji.
But when fans pressed play, they heard the action star singing his own emotional version of 'I Will Always Love You'.
The song is often associated with Whitney Houston, but Parton originally released it in 1974.
Diesel performed the track in his deep voice and appeared to become emotional during lyrics including "please don’t cry."
The performance quickly spread across social media, with some fans admitting they were moved by Diesel's unexpected tribute.
"Didn’t have 'Crying to Vin Diesel singing' on my list today but here we are," one person wrote.
A second praised the performance, writing: "Bros. He even harmonized himself. This is beautiful."
"I can’t begin to tell you how much this made my day," a third said, while a fourth added: "Dolly Parton got Vin Diesell singing and it's a damn serious tribute. I don’t think I quite understood her impact."
Others admitted they struggled to take the rendition quite as seriously.
"I feel bad for laughing as hard as I am right now,” one person reacted. Another chimed in: "Man this is almost as bad as puffy’s tribute to biggie."
While the performance may have surprised some fans, singing is far from a new venture for Diesel.
In 2013, he shared a rendition of Rihanna’s 'Stay', praising the singer’s "gift." He later released two singles of his own in 2020, 'Feel Like I Do' and 'Days Are Gone'
"I did musical theatre as a kid, and I started rapping back in the early '80s," Diesel previously told People. "But the real singing happened with social media.
"When I sang 'Stay', I remember Mikky saying something like, 'Vin’s cover is the best.' I was feeling all kinds of encouragement there. People say, 'We’ve been watching you make these karaoke videos for 10 years for all your social media fans, and we see that you’re serious and that you love it and we support it.' That’s beautiful," he added.
Parton's death came just days after she delivered one of her final messages to fans.
On August 19, she appeared virtually at the 2026 Academy of Country Music Honors, where she received the ACM Poet's Award for her impact on country music.
"You know, I've been able to do many things throughout my life, but at my core, songwriting has always been the most important part of who I am creatively," she said. "Every dream I ever had and all the dreams that I've been able to see come true in life, well, they all started with a song.
"Songwriting has been my therapy; songwriting has been my release, my joy. Songwriting has been a gift from God that has allowed me to touch people with words and music," she concluded.
Following her death, Parton's nephew Bryan Seaver also shared a statement on behalf of the family.
"It is an honor, an honor that is mixed with absolute pride and great sadness," he said. "But sadness lies with us, not with Dolly.
"Dolly has lived in the light and is in the arms of Jesus, surely met by Carl, her parents, and countless others who have watched her and longed to meet her in the heavens," he added.
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