Dolly Parton’s inner circle fears she will ‘never recover’ due to THIS

Dolly Parton is reportedly feeling crushed by sorrow more than eight months after the death of her husband, Carl Thomas Dean.

For those unaware, Dean embraced death at the age of 82 on March 3, 2025. His family announced the tragic news of his passing; however, it refrained from revealing the cause of his death.

An insider told Radar Online that Parton has ignited fear among her inner circle because of her being engulfed in sorrow after losing her beloved husband.

The source stated, “She’s desperately trying to rally herself back to work, but it is very difficult. The loss is hitting her so hard. Her friends are very worried.”

Notably, the 79-year-old American singer-songwriter and actress has been facing severe health challenges after the demise of Dean, so she had to move her December 2025 Las Vegas residency to September 2025.

Revealing the issue that forced her to reschedule her upcoming shows, Parton stated that she endured kidney stones and multiple medical procedures. However, the Powerful Women crooner is still running Dollywood.

Per the insider, “Carl’s death knocked the wind right out of her. She’s trying to rally herself, but most days she looks lost. Carl was her rock. She depended on him more than people realized.”

Even Parton appeared in a prerecorded video to accept her honorary Oscar at the recent Governors Awards, which was awarded to her to appreciate her humanitarian work.

The insider said, “The whole night was built around celebrating her. She was so sad to miss it because it is a huge honor, but she simply could not handle going, which tells you just how bad it is.”

“She says no man could ever fill the space Carl left behind, and she has resigned herself to being alone, in that sense, for the rest of her life.”

“Dolly is a fighter, but she’s not superhuman. This loss is profound. Her friends can’t help but worry that she’ll never recover,” the source remarked.