Dolly Parton was asked how she’s doing two months after the death of husband Carl Dean, and her response is not surprising.
The country legend joined Today to talk about Dollywood, her theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
The majority of the nine-minute-long package celebrates the 40th anniversary season of the park (which opened May 3, 1986), but hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin did something of a wellness check, as well.
- Carl Dean died at age 82 on March 3, 2025.
- He was married to Parton for nearly 60 years.
- She has expressed sadness and gratitude for fan support on social media but said very little publicly until Friday (May 2).
Related: Why Dolly Parton and Her Husband Never Had Kids
“I get very emotional when people bring it up,” Parton says as she begins to get choked up.
She goes on to pay him tribute, as well as to share a BTS story involving a little boy who went viral for his reaction to seeing Parton at Dollywood. The celebration brought her to tears!
“I’ve loved him since I was 18 years old,” she continues in the interview, speaking of Carl. “It’s a big adjustment, just trying to change patterns and habits.”
“I’ll do fine, and I’m very involved in my work, and that’s been the best thing that could happen to me. But I’ll always miss him, of course, and always love him.”
Later, the two Today hosts show Parton video of a little boy who loses his mind when he spots Parton in the Dollywood parade. She said she remembered seeing him and — in that moment, which took place just days after Dean’s death — it really touched her.
“Just getting to see the reaction and felling all that love, I got very emotional that day after the parade because there was just so much love like that,” she admits. “It was right after I had lost Carl and I was just so bottled up with emotion and I just got in the van and just boo-hoo’d for the longest time.”
Parton is continuing to work in the weeks since Dean’s death. In addition to helping celebrate 40 years of Dollywood, she’s got a musical and more in the works for 2025 and 2026.
See which country couples have been married the longest. At No. 1 it’s a couple who have been married for nearly 60 years!
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes