Dolly Parton 'Wasn't Doing Well' and 'Took a Step Back From the Public' After Tragic Loss of Husband Carl Dean, Family Friend Says

Dolly Parton struggled in the aftermath of her husband Carl Dean's death.

The "Jolene" singer stepped back from the public eye, as she "wasn't doing well" following the tragic passing.

Nikki Lund, who knew the Parton through her longtime manager, Donny Nozell, told Page Six exclusively that the singer had experienced "a lot of loss in a short amount of time" following the March 2025 death of Dean and the loss of her brother.

Lund, who had last seen the country music icon about a month ago, added, "I think it’s like a broken heart, you know?"

"Normally, she works all the time because she loves it. She’s just a busy bee. She’s always busy. And for the last year, she took a step back from the public eye and wanted to spend more time at home. She wasn’t around anyone as much for the last year," Parton's family friend added.

"I was very surprised when I saw her after he died. She’s just a resilient person," Lund continued. "She had such a faith and such a brightness about her that you just forgot that there were any problems in the world."

"When you’re around Dolly, it’s like the sun is shining, rainbows and butterflies. I mean, you would never really know. But this was the biggest tragedy loss for her," she said.

When asked if she believed Dean had been the love of Parton’s life, Lund emotionally shared that the star's death still does not feel real.

"My mom said it so perfectly …she’s left the world to go live with her real love. It was so beautiful,” Lund shared. "I’m also a little in shock right now. We all knew she was sick, but this was a surprise. I mean, at least to the people that weren’t in her immediate family."

Lund went on to say she believed Parton died of a "broken heart," although representatives for the singer confirmed Tuesday that Parton died at age 80 following a "brief battle" with cancer.

Parton and Dean, who ran an asphalt road-paving business in Nashville, met outside a laundromat in 1964 when she was 18.

Dean, Parton’s husband for more than 60 years, died in March 2025 at age 82.

At the time of his passing Parton said, "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."