Dolly Parton remembers late husband Carl Thomas Dean amid health woes

Dolly Parton recently got honest about living life without her husband Carl Thomas Dean.

For those unaware, Dean passed away at the age of 82 on March 3, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Parton announced the tragic news of her husband, with whom she spent 59 years of her life.

Taking to her Instagram on Monday, May 4, the 80-year-old American singer-songwriter and actress shares a reel in which she reflected on her life without the presence of her beloved husband.

She said, "I want you to know also that a lot of you have been concerned about me and Carl, and you were so great about that. But after going through a year of firsts, I mean the holidays, and especially our wedding anniversary, and the date of his death, March. 3, that was hard for me.”

"But I will always love him, and I will always miss him, but you would be surprised at how much your love and concern meant to me during that time,” the Jolene songstress noted, showing gratitude to her fans for supporting her during this difficult time.

"Lord, my house and my porch looked like the botanical gardens with all the flowers, and my den looked like the post office with all the cards and letters. So, yes, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you; you have been a big part of my healing," she thanked her fans.

It is pertinent to mention that Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean, who first met in 1964 at a Nashville laundromat, tied the knot on May 30, 1966, in Ringgold, Georgia, and remained married until Dean’s death. The couple did not have any children.