Dolly Parton shares throwback photo of notoriously private husband Carl Dean
‘Find you a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!’ country music legend says
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Your support makes all the difference.Dolly Parton has shared her appreciation for her husband Carl Dean, while continuing to shut down rumours that her partner of 55 years is “imaginary,” with a rare photo of the couple.
On Tuesday, the country music singer, who has been married to Dean since 1966, uploaded a throwback photo of the pair to Instagram, where she wrote: “Find you a partner who will support you like my Carl Dean does!”
In the photo, which appears to be edited to promote Parton’s new line of merchandise, Dean can be seen wearing a T-shirt with his wife’s face on it, that is available for purchase on her website, while the pair stand hand-in-hand.
In response to the throwback photo, many of Parton’s fans shared their appreciation for the glimpse of the singer’s longtime love.
“Hahaha the queen of photoshop! Y’all are adorable. I think this may be the first time I’ve seen a picture Carl Dean!” one person commented.
Another said: “The mystery man himself!
“Where have you been hiding this gorgeous man?” someone else joked.
Parton’s sweet tribute to her husband comes after the 75-year-old Jolene singer previously addressed a conspiracy theory that Dean was “imaginary,” which arose as a result of the couple’s notoriously private relationship.
When asked about the humorous fan speculation in October 2020 while speaking withEntertainment Tonight, Parton said: “A lot of people have thought that through the years because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all. It’s just not who he is. He’s like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace and he’s right about that.”
At the time, the country music star also revealed that her husband had told her: “I didn’t choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together,” and that the pair have done so ever since.
Parton previously revealed that she fell for Dean instantly upon meeting him at a laundromat on her first day in Nashville in 1964, with the couple tying the knot in 1966. They renewed their vows in May 2016 on the 50th anniversary of their wedding, with Parton telling Rolling Stone about the ceremony: “I got all dressed up in the most beautiful gown you’ve ever seen and dressed that husband of mine up. He looked like a handsome dude out of Hollywood.”
According to the singer, the ceremony included a few friends and family but the couple chose not to plan “anything big at all” because they didn’t want “any kind of strain, any kind of tension, any kind of commotion”.
“We just had a simple little ceremony at our chapel at our place. We just had fun with it,” she added.
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