EXCLUSIVE: Dolly Parton's Wedding at 80! Widowed Country Icon Set to Get Hitched to Lover She's Secretly Been Dating for MONTHS
Dolly Parton, 80, is reportedly planning a wedding with a secret lover months after loss.
March 9 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
After Dolly Parton's beloved husband, Carl Dean, died on March 3, 2025, the country legend swore she would never marry again, RadarOnline.com can reveal. But apparently, now, Parton has changed her tune. "As time has gone on, she's learned to heal from her broken heart," said an insider. "Dolly will get married again."
No one will ever replace Dean, but Parton knows he would want her to be happy again. "So she's no longer closed her mind to falling in love again – or even walking down the aisle again," said the insider. "She may be 80, but there's still plenty of time to find a new man."
And some said she has already. The source added there are whispers Parton has been secretly dating someone for months and she's found love again already.
Parton Open To Love Again
Dolly Parton said Carl Dean 'suffered a great deal' from health issues before his death at 82 on March 3, 2025.
Just two weeks after Dean's death at age 82, Parton shared: "I'm doing better than I thought I would," noting he "suffered a great deal" from various health issues. "I'm at peace that he's at peace, but that don't keep me from missing him," she confided. "He'll always be with me."
But if anyone can find love again at 80, it's Parton. "I live on spiritual and creative energy. I want to make things happen," she said of her go-get-'em attitude.
If the right man comes along, "she would take a leap of faith and see where things go," noted the insider. "A year ago, she would have said no way. Even six months ago, she would have laughed if you mentioned the notion of her remarrying. Now things are different."
Dolly Parton Bouncing Back Strong
Health issues forced Parton to cancel Dollywood and Las Vegas appearances while recovering from kidney stones.
Sources said Parton's prayers have been answered and she's also finally feeling a lot better physically. Last year, the 9 to 5 star grappled with a number of serious health issues. In early September, she was forced to cancel an appearance at Dollywood and back out of her highly anticipated Las Vegas shows because she was recovering from kidney stones.
"Turns out there was an infection," the songbird revealed.
Concern for Parton grew weeks later when she gave a not-so-positive health update: "My doctors tell me that I must have a few procedures."
As RadarOnline.com readers know, there was even talk of her planning her own funeral.
But since the New Year, Parton has rebounded extremely well, said the insider, who added: "She's finally feeling like her old self again."
Dolly’s Spark Back After Loss
Parton admitted moving on after Dean's death has been a slow process.
"Her spunkiness is back. She's playful again, devilish. She's so full of life. She deserves another wonderful relationship like she had with Dean – even at this stage in her life. She will definitely keep the guy on his toes," the source said.
The I Will Always Love You singer conceded the process of moving on has been slow, explaining: "I'm going to have to relearn some things. It's a hole in my heart, you know, but we'll fill that up with good stuff."
She admitted even her marriage to Dean took her by surprise, so anything is possible. "I hadn't intended to marry, but you know how love goes," said Parton, who was 18 when she met Dean at a laundromat on the day she moved to Nashville to launch her music career. Two years later, in 1966, the lovebirds tied the knot.
Dolly And Carl’s Private Love
Parton recalled meeting Dean at a Nashville laundromat at age 18 before they married in 1966.
"We're really proud of our marriage," she once said.
Their secret to happiness? Dean supported her career wholeheartedly – but never wanted anything to do with it.
Parton recalled after attending one awards show with her early on: "Carl said, 'Now I want you to do great, but don't you ever ask me to go to another one of these damn things cuz I ain't going.'
"And I knew right then that I'm just going to keep him private as best I can. I have to be out in the public, and I belong to the public. But I am such a private person, and my husband was, as well."
Dolly Still Turning Heads Everywhere
Sources said any future partner of Parton would need to accept her demanding career.
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Any man Parton meets now would also have to not feel threatened by her career, which can consume her at times, sources said.
"Still, there are plenty of fellas out there who would love to take her out, and not just in Nashville," said the insider. "She's universally admired and has always loved men, and no one can see her living out the rest of her days completely alone."
The beloved performer, who famously modeled her exaggerated look on the "town tramp" from her childhood, has never been ashamed of seeking intimacy.
Dolly Open To Love Again
Parton has spoken openly about intimacy while reflecting on life after Carl Dean.
"I've always had an open mind about sex," she said. "I always loved sex. I never had a bad experience with it. I was just very emotional. To me, sex was not dirty. It was somethin' very intimate and very real."
Now Parton is craving that connection again, said the insider, and she is letting her faith guide her.
"I'll wake up tomorrow, and I'll see whatever God has in mind," Parton said. "I've got to finish things I've already got in the works, and I know God's going to give me something else. Every new day brings on new things. There are always new dreams."
