The '9 to 5' singer reveals her husband's reaction to her 'little' shorts at last year's NFL game, admitting he was apprehensive about how short the outfit was.
- Jan 26, 2024
AceShowbiz - Dolly Parton's husband told the singer her viral Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit was "too short." The country singer icon, now 78, was 77 when she wore a low-cut crop top and skimpy white denim shorts paired with a sparkly catsuit during a halftime performance at an NFL game in November 2023, and has now revealed her rarely-seen partner Carl Dean questioned her on the length of the tiny shorts before the show.
"He did say something like, 'What? Is it, a little short, don't you think?' " she told Page Six. Dolly added she responded, "No! It's not as short as theirs (the Cowboys' dance squad)."
The "Jolene" singer and Carl, who have practically never been seen in public together, married in 1966 after they met at a laundromat two years earlier.
She also said she initially thought her cheerleader outfit would be "funny" for her fans, adding, "I thought, if I can, if I could pull this off, that'd be a cool little thing to do."
"I thought most people would excuse me if it didn't turn out. I thought, they're just like us, some older woman making a bad mistake. Or I thought, 'Well, maybe it'll just be something cool to do.' "
Dolly has been praised by fans ever since wearing the outfit, with them constantly making images of it viral online and many saying she looks "hotter" in it than people half her age.
Celebrities have also heaped praise on the look, including former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, 43. Model Christie Brinkley, 69, said the singer was "inspiring" and suggested she should cover Sports Illustrated's swimwear issue. Whoopi Goldberg, 68, also backed her, with Dolly's singer sister Stella, 74, telling critics of her sibling to "bite me."
Dolly added she wore her cheerleader outfit on the way home on private jet after her performance as she didn't have a chance to change - but covered up with a robe.
She said, "I put (the robe) on because I cannot fly all the way home with a bunch of men, you know, sitting here in this little… (outfit). They'll aggravate me to death, you know, if nothing else, just making jokes or comments."
