Dolly Parton Spoke About Rumored 'New Husband' Sylvester A Year After Carl Dean's Death
Dolly Parton's death brought the spotlight on her late husband, Carl Dean and the rumors regarding her new love following his 2025 death.
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Add BollywoodShaadis on GoogleSinger-songwriter and actress Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. Brian Seaver, a close family member of the singer-songwriter, announced her death on August 25, 2026. He took to Dolly Parton's Instagram account to share that she succumbed to her ongoing health issues after fighting against them for quite some time. In the days leading up to her death, the country singer admitted that while caring for her husband, Carl Dean, she ignored her own health.
Amid that, her comments about rumors that she had found new love a year after Carl's death resurfaced. Notably, she reacted to the buzz about her alleged "new husband", Sylvester Stallone, just months before she passed away.
Dolly Parton broke silence on rumors of her finding new love a year after her husband, Carl Dean's death
Just months before her demise, Dolly Parton was romantically linked up with her Rhinestone co-star Sylvester Stallone, and popular internet chatter claimed that the duo were seeing each other a year after her husband, Carl Dean, died. Many even speculated that Dolly had secretly remarried Sylvester and referred to him as her "new husband." Dolly herself reacted to the buzz when she took the stage at Dollywood in March 2026, which is just three months before her passing.
At that time, Dolly joked with Dollywood Company President Eugene Naughton while speaking to the crowd. "I bet some of you thought he's [Eugene's] probably my new husband that you read about." The woman who had a knack for humor laughed off the speculation surrounding her love life. She also addressed the buzz around Sylvester Stallone, refuting the marriage rumors.
Addressing the online chatter around her second wedding, Dolly Parton claimed that she still considered herself married even a year after her husband, Carl Dean's death. She further displayed her love and devotion towards him by saying that walking down the aisle once was good enough for her and she would never think of going down the path again. She further clarified that she was not seeing anybody and didn't plan to date anybody again. In her words:
"There's a lot of rumors going around, but I did not marry Sylvester Stallone, did you see that one? And I'm not dating anybody. I'm not married. I don't think I'll ever be married but once."
Dolly Parton spoke on her husband, Carl Dean, in her final interview before death
Dolly Parton and her husband, Carl Dean, were married for six decades, and she loved him dearly. While he was alive and even after his March 2025 death, she continued to speak fondly about him in her interviews and during her public appearances. On August 21, 2026, when the singer and actress sat for her final interview with PEOPLE, she also remembered her late husband. Dolly shared an update on her health, during which she acknowledged that her physical condition declined after the passing of Carl Dean.
Dolly recalled the time when her husband was ill, and to look after him, she ignored her own health. Dolly mentioned having "female issues" for several months and also struggling with her weight. The country star admitted that she should have paid more attention to her health and revealed that she had been having "hard times" due to her ailments. Remembering her late husband and opening up about her own health issues, she stated:
"As I've shared in video messages throughout the past year, I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn't pay attention to when I was watching over Carl. You know, this isn't the first time I've had to manage something like this. Back in the early '80s, I was down for several months with female issues, and I was struggling with my weight at the time too, so it's not like I haven't been through hard times with my health."
We extend our heartfelt condolences to Dolly Parton's family as they deal with her loss.
Photo courtesy: Dolly Parton/Instagram, IMDb
Also Read: Dolly Parton Dies, She Shared Her Final Wish In Last Interview Before Death
