Dolly Parton’s Driver Reveals What The Icon Kept Hidden About Her Death: ‘She Didn’t Want To Say…’

Dolly Parton had secrets, according to her driver.

Jason Pirro, who worked for the late country music star, claims had a hard time adjusting to life after her husband, Carl Dean, died in March 2025 at the age of 82.

“It was a bad time for her,” he told InTouch Weekly in a Sept. 11 interview. “She didn’t say much, but she sometimes talked about how much she missed him so much. She didn’t want to make a big deal about it because she knew that I knew how she was affected by it.”

Pirro said Parton and Dean would often travel between their homes in LA and Tennessee to spend time with each other until he got sick. Dean, who famously avoided the public spotlight, had battled Alzheimer’s Disease for years until he died. Though he was going through a lot in his life, Pirro says the couple “shared a unique happiness that seemed to sparkle whenever they were together.”

“I think that’s why she passed away so soon after he did,” he explained. “She died of a broken heart, but she didn’t want to say that because she didn’t want people feeling sorry for her.”

Parton died on August 25 at age 80. While Parton stayed by Dean’s side in his final months, the “Jolene” singer didn’t take her health issues as seriously. A few days before she died, Parton told People, “I am dealing with some health issues that I just didn’t pay attention to when I was watching over Carl.”

It wasn’t until she died that fans learned just how badly her health was declining. The 9 to 5 star was battling cancer and was also dealing with a slew of other issues.

“In a way, I think she was looking forward to passing… It’s sad, but they had a good life together,” Pirro said. He noted that Parton didn’t want a big “to-do” about her death. “The way their relationship was, she knew that they were going to be in heaven forever. I didn’t think it would be that soon, but it was.”

According to Parton’s cousin Richie Owens, the star was buried alongside Dean in Nashville, Tennessee. He told TODAY.com that the funeral was “very small” and “very quiet,” which was just “what she wanted.”

“She wanted to keep it very, very private,” he said.