Dolly Parton Reveals the Secret Behind 53-Year Marriage to Carl Dean: Their ‘Warped Sense of Humor’

Many couples say communication is the key to a lasting relationship, but that isn’t the case for Dolly Parton and Carl Thomas Dean. The “Jolene” singer, 73, has been married to her husband since 1966 and she credits something unique to them as the secret to keeping their relationship going strong for 53 years.

“He makes me laugh all the time,” she told Closer Weekly and other reporters at the world premiere of her Netflix series Heartstrings on Tuesday, October 29, at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. “We both have a warped sense of humor. It is one of the things that has kept us together all of this time.”

While the Steel Magnolias actress lives her life in the public spotlight, she respects Carl’s desire to remain private.

“I don’t know if you will be seeing many [more] pictures [of him]. He hates that,” she revealed, adding that he is doing “great” these days and they “have a lot of fun together” despite his absence at many of her events. “He would never come to a thing like this because he hates the commotion, but he is proud of me.”

Aside from having a loving husband at home for support, Dolly said she also leans on another man to help her: God.

“I just try to use the talent that God gave me when I write songs,” the 9 to 5 star said about her faith, which has been a part of many projects she has taken on throughout the years. “But anything I do I always pray about it and I hope I do the right thing. I ask forgiveness for it, if I didn’t do the right thing. I really love the fact that I had a chance to do these songs and see them come to life. To just be able to stand here and do it, so I thank God for that.”

Dollywood also served as the perfect spot to launch Heartstrings.

“You can only imagine how special it is to finally have it here. It is a dream come true,” the Grammy winner gushed. “I always dreamed about having my songs be seen and then being able to be here in my theme park in my hometown with family and friends around; this is a perfect place to celebrate that dream. It is a world premiere. It is going to be all over the world, so why not do it at Dollywood? Home is home, no place like it.”

Heartstrings launches on Netflix globally on Friday, November 22.