EXCLUSIVE: Grief-Torn Dolly Parton 'Will be Haunted to Her Grave' By Dementia-Stricken Husband Carl Dean 'Having no Idea Who She Was In His Final Days'
Dolly Parton's husband, Carl Dean, is said to not have recognized the singer during his final days alive.
March 20 2025, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
Dolly Parton's world fell to pieces when beloved husband, Carl Dean, could no longer recognize her in the final days before his death following a six-year battle with cruel, brain-savaging Alzheimer's disease, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Insiders revealed the heartbreaking details of how Dean's memory and facial recognition faded until he often failed to recognize the 79-year-old country superstar – his wife for nearly 59 years – before his death at 82 on March 3.
Parton's heartache deepened as Dean's memory faded in his final days.
"There were moments where Dolly had to painfully accept that Carl had no idea who she was," a source said.
They continued: "She devoted herself to caring for him, but in the end, Carl didn't recognize people, had quit eating, and Parton could see the light fading from his eyes. "She sweetly told him, 'You can let go now Carl, just know I will always love you.'"
Dean's decline drove Parton to quit touring in 2023 to care for him – but privately, she was tormented for not doing so sooner.
"For so many years, Dolly was caught up in work, barely home 50 days a year, but by the time she finally stayed put, Carl was already fading," revealed the insider.
Fans were thrilled to see Dolly Parton at the event just days after her husband's death.
Sources said the couple's legendary love story was anything but perfect.
Insiders shared Parton and Dean cheated on each other and by the mid-1990s, they were on the brink of divorce.
However, they quietly rebuilt their relationship.
Ironically, the pair were one of the most mismatched couples in show business history. Parton’s loner, reclusive husband shunned the limelight and stayed out of the superstar's career.
Parton made her first public appearance since the death of her husband.
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Shockingly, he didn't even like country music.
"Carl was a hardcore Led Zeppelin-loving classic rock fan," another source told RadarOnline.com.
The insider added: "Dolly has played 2,000 concerts in her career, and Carl attended just a couple of them — and made sure nobody knew who he was."
