Dolly Parton reveals husband Carl Dean's secret health battle before his death
Dolly Parton is opening up about the death of her husband, Carl Dean, and how he secretly was sick before his death at age 82 in March.
'I really feel his presence. I just try to go on, because I know I have to,' she told The Independent in an interview published on Wednesday. 'And he was ill for quite a while, and part of me was at peace that he was at peace and not suffering anymore. But that still doesn't make up for the loss and the loneliness of it.'
The 'Steel Magnolias' actress, 79, did not disclose what specific heath battle he faced.
4 Dolly Parton attends
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Parton and Dean were married for nearly 60 years before his passing. The couple married on May 30, 1966, and did not have children.
'I am a person of faith, and I truly believe that I'm going to see him again someday,' she went on.
'And I see him every day in my memories and in my heart, and in all the things that we used to do and all the things that we've built together. You just kind of have to learn to kind of make new plans – but that's the hardest part.'
Parton and Dean met in 1964 outside of a laundromat in Nashville. Although he remained out of the spotlight for most of their relationship, the singer gushed that he was always 'very proud' of her behind closed doors.
'So when I did lose him, I just thought, well, I'm going to take all of that energy, and I'm just going to put that back into other things, and I'll keep him ever-present in everything that I do,' she told the outlet.
The 10-time Grammy winner is keeping to her word. She has been busy working on an autobiographical musical, which will open in Nashville in July before opening on Broadway in 2026. Her new book, 'Star of the Show: My Life on Stage,' will also hit shelves on Nov. 11.
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