Dolly Parton Discusses Depression, Suicide Thoughts, And Open Marriage

Country superstar Dolly Parton has had an incredible life and a super-successful career beyond her wildest dreams. But lurking underneath her bubbly public persona is an oftentimes sad person, who has struggled with crippling depression for decades.

“I hurt like everybody else. I’m not always happy,” Parton told Closer. Dolly, an 11-time Grammy winner whose net worth tops $500 million, said she even considered suicide during a particularly rough patch in her 52-year open marriage to husband Carl Dean.

“I don’t think I’d have done it, killed myself, but I can’t say for sure.”

Parton, 72, said that low moment in her life made her understand why some people do commit suicide.

“Now that I’ve gone through that terrible moment, I can certainly understand the possibilities, even for someone solid like me, if the pain gets bad enough,” she said.

Relies On Faith And Friends

Dolly said her faith in God and having good friends helped pull her through her depression.

“I think that good neighbors and faith and trust in God — and in one another — helps everyone pull together as a team,” she said. “You got to pull as a community; as a family. That’s the only way you can keep going.”

While she’s known mostly for her exaggerated hourglass figure and self-deprecating plastic-surgery jokes, Dolly Parton’s open marriage is also a subject of public fascination.

Parton married her reclusive husband, Carl Dean, in 1966. The couple, who have no children, met when he was 21 and she was 18. Carl lives full-time in Nashville, Tennessee, which is where Dolly is when she’s not working.

In 2016, Dolly and Carl renewed their wedding vows, according to Parton’s official website. The couple has long had an open marriage, partly due to her constant traveling for work.

The one thing they agreed on long ago is that they will stay devoted to their marriages and they won’t discuss their lovers.

“I don’t get jealous,” she said. “It never crosses my mind. And if he does something, I never want to know. There’s no way in heaven’s name that I could ever leave Carl.”

Now that they’re getting older, Dolly is spending more time at home, which is where Carl prefers to spend his time. A friend of the couple said they have settled into a nice, quiet home life.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Also Battled Depression

Another celebrity who has struggled with lifelong depression is action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The Rock said he has battled depression for decades, but daily exercise keeps him mentally fit and emotionally resilient.

“Struggle and pain is real,” Johnson said. “I reached a point where I didn’t want to do a thing or go anywhere. I was crying constantly…Working out is my therapy, and it’s cheaper than a shrink.”