Country icon Dolly Parton chats with Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking about her first new Christmas album in 30 years. Video / Newstalk ZB
Dolly Parton has responded to rumours that claim she has been cheating on her long-time husband with other celebrities for years.
Speaking to Saga, the legendary musician opened up about the claims, stating “I’ve heard so many crazy rumours about me through the years.”
Admitting the worst kind of stories are ones about her health and marriage, she told the magazine one health story she heard was that her back was broken because her “books were so heavy”.
The 77-year-old then said there have been numerous infidelity claims made about her marriage, with fans claiming she has had an affair with almost everyone she has worked with. She told the magazine, “And they’ve had me having an affair with everybody I’ve ever worked with.”
American country music singer-songwriter Dolly Parton and actor, director, screenwriter and producer Sylvester Stallone were rumoured to have had an affair. Photo / Getty Images
One actor she was rumoured to be involved with romantically is her 1984 co-star from the film Rhinestone, Sylvester Stallone. Another actor suspected of being involved with the singer was Burt Reynolds, who she starred alongside in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
While little is known about Parton’s husband, Carl Dean, because they prefer to keep their love out of the spotlight, it is known the couple have been married since 1966, with the long-time duo choosing to renew their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary.
She told Saga that despite the many rumours, Dean has taken them all at face value, admitting, “He’s always treated these things tongue in cheek and he’ll say, ‘Hell, I’d feel bad for any man that didn’t fall in love with her’.”
One of just a handful of photos of Dolly Parton and her husband that have been made public.
The much-loved singer also spoke about the couple’s decision not to have children, confessing it’s not something she regrets.
“I haven’t missed it like I thought I might,” she explained adding, “When you’re a young couple, you think you’re going to have kids, but it just wasn’t one of those burning things for me. I had my career and my music and I was travelling.
“If I’d had kids, I’d have stayed home with them, I’m sure, and worried myself to death about them. With everything that’s going on, I’d hate to be bringing a child into this world right now,” the star said.
This isn’t the first time Parton has spoken about her and her husband’s decision not to have children — she talked about it in 2014 during an interview with Billboard, saying that while she and Dean had “assumed” to have kids and even had names picked out, it just didn’t happen.
She alludes to her health being one of the reasons because the singer suffers from endometriosis — a condition that can make it difficult for women to have children. The Jolene singer was diagnosed at 33 and had a partial hysterectomy at age 36.
