Dolly Parton Reveals Why ‘God Didn’t Let’ Her Have Kids

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Dolly Parton

The country music legend Dolly Parton has been married to her beloved husband Carl Dean ever since 1966, but they have never had children together. In a new interview, Parton is opening up about why she believes “God didn’t let” her have kids.

Parton Discusses Never Having Children

“I haven’t missed it like I thought I might,” said Parton, 77, according to Fox News. “When you’re a young couple, you think you’re going to have kids, but it just wasn’t one of those burning things for me. I had my career and my music and I was traveling.”

“If I’d had kids, I’d have stayed home with them, I’m sure, and worried myself to death about them,” she continued. “With everything that’s going on, I’d hate to be bringing a child into this world right now. I always say God didn’t let me have children so that all kids could be mine.”

Parton previously said that she and Dean are now “glad” that they never had children.

“God has a plan for everything,” Parton said in 2017, according to Country Rebel. “I think it probably was his plan for me not to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine. And they are now.”

Parton went on to say that she has always had a connection with children because she has a voice that sounds like something out of a nursery rhyme.

“I have that high-pitched voice…I look like Mother Goose or one of those over-exaggerated characters, and kids just relate to that,” Parton explained.

Despite how she feels now, there was a time when Parton did want children with her husband.

“If we’d had a girl, she was gonna be called Carla,” the country singer said. “Anyway, we talked about it, and we dreamed it, but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Related: Dolly Parton Reveals Why Her Husband Of 57 Years Never Attends Events With Her

‘God Didn’t Mean for Me To Have Kids’

Parton further opened up about her decision not to have children in a 2020 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“I didn’t have children because I believed that God didn’t mean for me to have kids so everybody’s kids could be mine, so I could do things like Imagination Library because if I hadn’t had the freedom to work, I wouldn’t have done all the things I’ve done,” she said.

“I wouldn’t be in a position to do all of the things I’m doing now,” she added. 

Related: Dolly Parton, 77, Defiantly Refuses To Retire – Would Rather ‘Drop Dead In The Middle Of A Song Onstage’

Dean Avoids Spotlight

Though Dean has been married to one of the most famous women on the planet for nearly 58 years, he has always stayed out of the spotlight.

“He does not want to be in the spotlight at all,” Parton previously told Entertainment Tonight. “That’s just not who he is. He said ‘I didn’t choose this world. I chose you and you chose that world.’ But we can keep our lives separate and together.”

Parton also acknowledged that some people have long believed that her husband is imaginary.

“A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all,” Parton said. “It’s just not who he is. He’s like, a quiet, reserved person and he figured if he ever got out there in that, he’d never get a minute’s peace and he’s right about that.”

While Parton would have been an amazing mother, we’re glad to see that she appears to have no regrets about not having children. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments section.

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