Dolly Parton and Carl Dean have been married for 54 years and their love only seems to be getting deeper.
Married for 54 years, country singer Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean are one of the longest-married couples in Hollywood... or are they?
That's exactly what some people question, whether a person named "Carl Dean" exists or not.
We surely cannot say that he doesn't exist because in all these years we have got one or two glimpses of Dean through pictures so those who claim that he is imaginary are clearly wrong. While Parton, who's quite famous, goes on tours and award shows, Dean prefers chilling at home. The very fact that he's always been away from the spotlight has given rise to speculations that he doesn't exist. However, recently Parton herself came forward to clear the air.
During an interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2020, the 74-year-old artist said, "A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all." She then revealed the reason for Dean's absence from the public eye. "It's just not who he is. He's like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he'd never get a minute’s peace and he's right about that."
She continued, "I've always respected and appreciated that in him and I've always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can. He said, 'I didn't choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.' And we do and we have. We've been together 56 years, married 54."
The two walked down the aisle together on May 30, 1966, and have been together ever since. Parton is known for being unapologetically frank and hilarious. Back in 2016, during an interview with Today, she revealed what she tells people when they ask her how her marriage lasted for so long. She replied, "I say, 'Forty-seven of those years I was gone.'"
Echoing herself, she told Entertainment Tonight, "I say, 'Because I stay gone.' And there's a lot of truth in that -- the fact that we're not in each other's faces all the time. But we do have a great respect and admiration for each other. We both have a great sense of humor. So, we have a lot of fun."
The Jolene singer shared some advice about how to quarantine with someone when she appeared on Today with Hoda & Jenna last year April. "I would say if you're trapped in the house with him, you might want to be in separate rooms," she joked. "The reason it worked for me is because I've stayed gone. I can't get away now. I'm stuck there now. I might find out who he is. We may not make it until the next anniversary."
You might think that since Parton and Dean spend so much time apart, it might have created some change in their dynamics. Well, the singer denies it. "We both are very crazy people," she said. "And we have a completely different sense of humor, but we just absolutely laugh all the time and that's been true through the years."
"I think there's a whole lot to be said about being good friends, but a good sense of humor, like even right now during these times, I've been making jokes about some of the stuff."
How amazing is it to find someone who can run along with you for years as you chase your dreams while being themselves? Dolly Parton and Carl Dean are lucky for sure.
Reference:
https://www.today.com/popculture/dolly-parton-responds-conspiracy-husband-isn-t-real-t196666
