EXCLUSIVE: Dolly Parton's Posthumous Memoir 'Will Reveal Secrets of Open Marriage'

Parton married Dean in Nashville on May 30, 1966, and the couple celebrated their 50th anniversary by renewing their vows in 2016.

Parton once described their relationship as "open and free," but repeatedly insisted this did not mean either partner was permitted to be sexually unfaithful.

But a source claimed: "Dolly and Carl had a marriage that fascinated people for decades, largely because it was so different from what the public expected of a major celebrity – and it was effectively an 'emotionally open' relationship.

"Even though the pair of them didn't have physical affairs, they both agreed they were allowed to flirt and form serious emotional bonds with other people outside of their marriage.

"Dolly was on the road a lot, whereas Carl liked to stay at home, so this arrangement suited them both."

The insider added: "Dolly was incredibly outgoing and lived much of her life in the spotlight, while Carl preferred to remain almost completely invisible. Dolly had spoken about their relationship being open in certain respects, but she was equally clear that this didn't mean they were free to sleep with other people. There were aspects of their relationship that remained deeply private, and her memoir is set to explore those boundaries, which will provide a fascinating insight into how they managed to stay together for so many years.

"One of the most intriguing chapters of Dolly's personal history is the emotional attachments she acknowledged having outside her marriage."

The source continued, "There has always been confusion surrounding Dolly's description of her marriage as open and free. People hear those words and immediately assume she was talking about an arrangement involving other sexual partners, but that wasn't how she saw it.

"Dolly viewed her and Carl's relationship as one built around independence, trust, and allowing each other room to live their own lives. The interesting question is how those boundaries worked in practice, particularly when one partner was an international superstar, and the other wanted nothing to do with celebrity, and this will make a fascinating part of her memoir – which, if it has been bought for $13million is sure to address this.

"Dolly was one of those rare entertainers who managed to share so much of herself with the public while still keeping important parts of her private life protected. Her marriage was a perfect example of that. She spoke lovingly about Carl, joked about jealousy, and even acknowledged an emotional affair, but there were always questions she never completely answered. A posthumous memoir will be enormously significant, as it is sure to contain her own reflections on those experiences."

"What makes Dolly's story so compelling is that her marriage endured despite the emotional difficulties at the center of it," the insider pointed out.

"She never presented herself as someone who had lived a completely uncomplicated romantic life. There were moments of heartbreak, jealousy, and personal turmoil in her relationship with Carl, but she consistently spoke about the love she shared with him."

Speaking in 2014, Parton directly addressed the unusual arrangement within her marriage.

She said: "Yes, it's an open relationship, but not sexually, and I would kill (Carl) if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day, we love each other madly."

Dean avoided the spotlight so successfully that rumors regularly circulated questioning whether he existed, although Parton frequently spoke about their marriage.

The couple first met outside the Wishy Washy Laundromat in Nashville on the day Parton arrived in the city to pursue her musical ambitions.

Their relationship subsequently became one of country music's most enduring marriages, although Parton acknowledged that her emotional life had not always been straightforward.

In 2017, in Dolly on Dolly: Interviews and Encounters With Dolly Parton, edited by Randy Schmidt, the singer revisited an intensely painful episode involving an unidentified man.

The collection described what Parton called an "affair of the heart," which is said to have left her experiencing profound emotional distress during the early 1980s.

Although speculation surrounded the man's identity, the nature of the relationship was never conclusively established, and there was no confirmation it became physical.

Parton also spoke about a period of severe emotional turmoil during which she contemplated taking her own life.

The 9 to 5 hitmaker later described how her dog Popeye interrupted her as she examined a gun kept in her bedroom.

She said: "I don't think I'd have done it – killed myself – but I can't say for sure."

Despite the heartbreak, Parton remained married to Dean, and the couple continued maintaining their famously private relationship.

She also drew inspiration from his interactions with other women, regularly revealing in interviews her 1973 hit Jolene was inspired by a bank teller who attracted her husband's attention.