Dolly Parton's husband of 53 years, Carl Thomas Dean, might not be a fan of stepping out for public appearances with her, but make no mistake — he'll always be her biggest supporter.
While the country legend was back in her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, on Tuesday night to celebrate the premiere of her new Netflix series, Dolly Parton's Heartstrings, at her Dollywood theme park, her husband opted instead to cheer her on from home.
"He's always supporting me as long as I don't try to drag him in on it," Parton, 73, told PEOPLE on the red carpet. "He's always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he's at home. I don't think they're probably showing much of this on TV and if they do, he might see it."
"But anyway, he'd never come dragging around," she continued. "I'd rather bring somebody else with me, you know? He's never jealous of that either."
Dean — whom Parton met when she was just 18 years old — has long shunned the spotlight and never appears at public events with his superstar wife.
"I always joke and laugh when people ask me what's the key to my long marriage and lasting love," Parton told PEOPLE in 2018. "I always say 'Stay gone!' and there's a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we're together and the little things we do."
