Dolly Parton’s childhood secrets revealed: abuse, addiction

She was punished for how she dressed

“As a teenager, my father hated the way I dressed,” Parton recalls. “My grandfather… even beat me for it. But I refused to back down. I’d rather go against my father than against myself. I have to be who I am.’

She had an affair of the heart

In the early 1980s, Parton reportedly developed a deep emotional bond with another man, which put a strain on her marriage. But she says it didn’t become sexual, and her and Carl [Dean] worked through it. “I’ve never been with anyone else,” she said. “I’m not that kind of person.”

She contemplated suicide

That low point in her life almost ended in tragedy. One afternoon, “Parton noticed in the bedside table drawer my gun that I keep for burglars. I looked at it for a long time… Then our little dog, Popeye, came running up the stairs. The tap-tap-tap of his paws jolted me back to reality. Then I prayed. I kind of believe Popeye was a spiritual messenger from God.”

She had a rivalry with her sister

Dolly and her sister Stella Parton shared a quiet professional rivalry, as Dolly’s fame overshadowed Stella’s own singing career. Stella admitted, “I’ve always loved my sister, but I’ve also had to fight for my own identity.”