Dolly Parton Says Time Apart Has Made Her Marriage Strong

Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean have been married for 54 years! What an incredible milestone. Dolly attributes their marriage success to one thing: time apart. Carl is rarely seen out in public and never attends any events with Dolly.

Dolly recently sat down with newlywed and country singer Gabby Barrett and gave her some advice. She admitted that they are very much opposites and their marriage works because of “sensible separation.”

Country singer Dolly Parton says her marriage works because they aren’t together all the time

Dolly said, “We’re both funny, and we both have a great and warped sense of humor so we’ve always had a good time. He’s pretty much a loner and a homebody, and I’m a gypsy. But when I’m home, I love that. We don’t do the same thing so it gives us different stuff to talk about. He doesn’t get involved in my business, and I don’t in his, so we have our own little world that we create for ourselves.”

RELATED: Dolly Parton Shares The Reason Why She Kept Her Marriage To Carl Dean A Secret

She joked, “I’ve always made jokes that the reason our marriage has lasted so long is because I stay gone. Well, there’s a lot of truth in that. We’re not in each other’s face all the time. I think there’s a lot to be said about having some sensible separation because you can’t be with somebody 24/7, 365 and not want to smack their face now and then.”

It makes sense because it can really bring back the romance when you miss your partner! In her 54 years of marriage, Dolly admitted that the first year was the hardest. She said that in the first year, you’re still figuring each other out, especially if you’re living together for the very first time.

In conclusion, watch the entire interview below: