Dolly Parton Once Admitted to Having ‘Little Affairs’ During Nearly 60-Year Marriage to Carl Dean

Long before Dolly Parton became famous for keeping the details of her marriage to Carl Dean private, the country legend made a surprisingly candid admission about her love life.

“I’ve had my little affairs,” Parton confessed in an exclusive 1984 interview with the National Enquirer.

She acknowledged that despite her devotion to her husband, she had given into temptation more than once.

“I’ve been tempted many times, and I admit I’ve given in more than once — but not as many times as people believe,” the Steel Magnolias star said at the time.

Parton, who had been married to Dean for 18 years at the time, declined to reveal any names or details about the relationships.

“I’ve had many great relationships. And if I decided to have another affair, that’s totally up to me,” she said. “I’m not going to give out details or names or anything else.”

The “Jolene” singer also addressed rumors that had linked her to some of her famous costars, including Burt Reynolds, after the two starred in 1982’s The Best Little [Expletive] in Texas.

“There was a lot of talk about my hot affair with Burt Reynolds when we were working together on [The Best Little (Expletive) in Texas], and I didn’t do anything to put out the fire,” Parton explained.

“You might even say I enjoyed fanning the flames by not giving a flat ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer to all the questions about me and Burt sleeping together,” she continued. “I’d never admit to having been to bed with Burt Reynolds or Sylvester Stallone. I wouldn’t do that to them — or to myself.”

Despite the candid admission, the Grammy winner made it clear that her relationship with Dean was one of the most important things in her life. Parton described their marriage as “very special – and very different” and explained that the two didn’t expect complete transparency from one another.

“I think honesty is a great thing — but I don’t believe in total honesty,” she said. “If Carl finds somebody attractive or wants to flirt, or if he’s having an affair with someone, I don’t want to know about it. I don’t want him to hurt me.”

Parton also said that same line of thinking applied to her own relationships and explained that there were some details she would never share with Dean because she couldn’t bear the thought of hurting him.

“I’m not going to say I’m perfect. I’m not. I’ve got the same feelings as everyone else,” the 9 to 5 actress shared.

However, no matter what happened outside of their marriage, Parton said she never questioned where she belonged.

“I want him to be happy,” she said of Dean. “I know he’ll always be mine — and he knows I’m always coming home to him.”

Parton and Dean remained married for almost 60 years until his death at age 82 in March 2025. The “Harper Valley PTA” artist died on Tuesday, August 25, after a brief battle with cancer. She was 80 years old.