American singer, Dolly Parton has revealed that she turned down the country’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, twice from former President, Donald Trump.
In an interview with Today, the music star said it wasn’t a good timing for her in the periods the Trump administration showed interest to honour her with the award.
She also explained why she would now be hesitant to accept the accolade from the new President Joe Biden.
Her words: “I couldn’t accept it (from Trump) because my husband was ill and then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she recalled.
“So now I feel like if I take it, I’ll be doing politics, so I’m not sure.
“I don’t work for those awards. It’d be nice but I’m not sure that I even deserve it. But it’s a nice compliment for people to think that I might deserve it.”
Parton is much beloved for both her musical career and the many charity projects she’s undertaken in recent years.
Recall that in November 2020, she donated $1 million to Vanderbilt University to support COVID-19 vaccine research.
She had previously given $1 million to Vanderbilt to help fund its Monroe Carell Jr. Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.