Dolly Parton’s sister reveals singer ‘worked too hard’ as Carl Dean’s death ‘broke her heart’
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Dolly Parton’s sister Stella is devastated by the loss of her sister. She can’t fathom the fact that the ‘Jolene’ singer is no more.
In a recent interview, Stella shared details about Dolly and offered a rare look at her sister’s life after her husband, Carl Dean, died.
She also spoke about whether Dolly was ‘broken-hearted’ after Dean’s death.
For those unaware, the singer took her last breath on August 25 at the age of 80, while Dean died in March 2025 at the age of 82.
Stella Parton reveals Dolly Parton’s state after Carl Dean’s death
During an appearance on the Thursday, September 10, episode of ‘CBS Mornings’, Stella, 77, said, “She was very sad, but I don’t think she - I don’t think that’s why she got sick,” the ‘I Want to Hold You in My Dreams Tonight’ musician said.
“I think she worked too hard and didn’t maybe take as good of care of herself as she should have.” When host Gayle King asked if the ‘Jolene’ singer neglected herself while caring for her husband, Dean, Stella said, “To a point.”
“I know their relationship was very unique and very deep and loyal,” she said. “And I think it broke her heart to see him in the shape that he got to before he passed away.”
Did Dolly Parton die of a broken heart?
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) September 10, 2026
"I think she worked too hard and didn't maybe take as good care of herself as she should have," her sister, @StellaParton, told @GayleKing about Dolly taking care of her husband, Carl Dean, before he died last year. https://t.co/jM42o1Bf0S pic.twitter.com/oChv5Izfxg
Stella added, “But I don’t think that’s what made her sick. I think my sister worked so hard for so long and just kept going. Even to the last conversation I had with her, she was working. That was her passion.”
In another interview, the country singer’s younger sister spoke about her relationship with Dean. “He adored her. He was fascinated with her. He thought she was funny, like Tinkerbell, and he was quiet and shy,” she said.
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean’s 59-year marriage
The couple shared a remarkable private life and nearly six decades of love after meeting outside a Nashville laundromat in 1964. Even though they did not have any children of their own, it never lessened the love they shared.
Their marriage lasted 59 years, and the couple continued to support each other despite their busy schedules. They were deeply devoted to each other, and Parton’s wish was to have a peaceful and private ceremony after her death.
She is now laid to rest beside her husband, Dean, at Woodlawn Memorial Park and Mausoleum in Nashville, Tennessee.
