Dolly Parton’s Heartbreak: Husband Carl Dean Fades from Alzheimer’s Disease

Devastated Dolly Parton‘s world fell to pieces when beloved husband Carl Dean could no longer recognize her in the final days before his death following a six-year battle with cruel, brain-savaging Alzheimer’s disease, sources exclusively tell The National ENQUIRER.

Insiders reveal the heartbreaking details of how Carl’s memory and facial recognition faded until he often failed to recognize the 79-year-old country superstar — his wife for nearly 59 years — before his death at 82 on March 3.

“There were moments where Dolly had to painfully accept that Carl had no idea who she was,” dishes a source. “She devoted herself to caring for him, but in the end, Carl didn’t recognize people, had quit eating, and Dolly could see the light fading from his eyes.

“She sweetly told him, ‘You can let go now Carl, just know I will always love you.'”

Dean’s decline drove Dolly to quit touring in 2023 to care for him — but privately, she was tormented for not doing so sooner.

“For so many years, Dolly was caught up in work, barely home 50 days a year, but by the time she finally stayed put, Carl was already fading,” reveals the tattler.

Sources say the couple’s legendary love story was anything but perfect.

Insiders spill that Dolly and Carl cheated on each other and by the mid-1990s, they were on the brink of divorce!

But they quietly rebuilt their relationship.

Ironically, they were one of the most mismatched couples in show business history! Dolly’s loner, reclusive husband shunned the limelight and stayed out of Dolly’s career.

Shockingly, he didn’t even like country music!

“Carl was a hardcore Led Zeppelin-loving classic rock fan,” another source tells The ENQUIRER. “Dolly has played 2,000 concerts in her career, and Carl attended just a couple of them — and made sure nobody knew who he was!”