Dolly Parton is speaking out following the death of her husband, Carl Dean.
“This is a love note to family, friends, and fans. Thank you for all the messages, cards, and flowers that you’ve sent to pay your respects for the loss of my beloved husband Carl,” Parton, 79, wrote via Instagram on Thursday.
“I can’t reach out personally to each of you but just know it has meant the world to me. He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that,” she continued. “I will always love you.”
The “9 to 5” singer announced Dean’s death in a statement via Instagram at the time.
“Carl Dean, husband of Dolly Parton, passed away March 3rd in Nashville at the age of 82. He will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with immediate family attending. He was survived by his siblings Sandra and Donnie,” the post read.
Adding her own words, Parton shared, “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy. The family has asked for privacy during this difficult time.”
Parton’s sister, Stella Parton, also opened up about her brother-in-law’s death. The 75-year-old penned on X, “On behalf of my sister Dolly, our family and Carl’s family we appreciate your prayers at this time.”
Dean and Parton were together for 58 years before his death on March 3 in Nashville.
In 1982, the icon told People, “Carl is the one man in my life. I would love to grow old with him. If he should die first, I may never marry again. My love is that deep.”
Talking about keeping their love out of the public eye, Parton told People in 2019, “He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it. He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.”
In May, she told E! News that it was “important to have someone there in your corner.”
“And you know they’ll love you for just who you are,” she gushed. “There’s a great comfort in knowing that someone loves you exactly for who you are — because he fell in love with me before I became a star.”
“To him, I’m his star,” Parton said, adding that the balance has “worked for us because we both do different things and it’s exciting when we are together.”
