Dolly Parton gets candid about being childless with longtime husband Carl Dean

Dolly Parton doesn’t need to have children to experience motherhood.

In a recent interview with Saga Magazine, the 77-year-old country music icon opened up about her decision to prioritise her career over raising a family with husband of almost 60 years, Carl Dean – contrary to expectations.

“I haven’t missed [having kids] like I thought I might,” she stated matter-of-factly.

The Jolene hitmaker expressed that even as a young couple, she had no burning desire to have kids. Instead, she said, “I had my career and my music and I was traveling.”

Hence, she noted that had she had kids, she would not have become who she is; instead, she would have “stayed home with them… worried [herself] to death about them.”

But that’s not the only reason she chose to remain childless.

Parton reflected that with “everything that’s going on” in the world, it wouldn’t sit right with her to bring more children into this world.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the eight-time Grammy winner hasn’t experienced motherhood.

On the contrary, Parton highlighted her deep connection with all the children she has assisted through her Imagination Library initiative, providing nearly 227 million fee books to kids globally to date.

“I always say God didn’t let me have children so that all kids could be mine,” she remarked.