Fans love Dolly Parton for her vocals and charismatic personality. The star has always lived on her own terms, along with her husband of 57 years. However, fans and media alike have always been curious about whether Dolly Parton has any children and what her relationship with Miley Cyrus is.
For the unversed, Dolly Parton has no children of her own, and the singer has no regrets about it. However, she is the godmother of pop icon Miley Cyrus.
Dolly Parton Is ‘Glad She Never Had Children’
Dolly Parton and Carl Dean married in 1966 after falling in love at first sight. At the time, Parton was 18. As most married couples do, the duo thought of having kids initially but later decided not to, and Parton has no regrets about her decision to date.
In an interview with The Guardian, the singer said, “My husband and I, when we first got married, we thought about if we had kids, what would they look like?… If we’d had a girl, she was gonna be called Carla.”
Ultimately, she feels “it wasn’t meant to be.” She went on to clarify that they are happy with their decision now that they are older. Dolly Parton and her husband consider themselves “as each other’s child.”
Moreover, Dolly Parton feels that if she had children, she might not have been the star she is today. She might have had a different life. She told the same outlet, “I would have been a great mother, I think. I would probably have given up everything else.” She explained that she would have probably felt guilty to leave them, and that would have changed everything.
Another reason could be endometriosis, a painful condition that can lead to infertility. As per her interview with Closer Weekly, by 1984, she underwent a partial hysterectomy to treat her symptoms. The entire uterus and part of the cervix are removed during the procedure. Although Parton has not spoken much about her operation, the songwriter did say she went into depression and even contemplated suicide as it “was an awful time” for her.
Despite all the ups and downs, Dolly Parton revealed to Oprah Winfrey in 2020 that she believes even “God didn’t mean” for her to have children “so everybody’s kids could be” hers.
Miley Cyrus Is Dolly Parton’s Goddaughter
Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton’s closeness has often made their fans wonder about their relationship. As close as the two are, Parton is not Cyrus’s blood relative but instead is her godmother. During a recent interview on Sirius XM’s “The Howard Stern Show,” the 77-year-old singer revealed how she became Miley Cyrus’s godmother.
The country singer explained that Miley’s dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, became close friends with her when they toured together while promoting his 1992 single, “Achy Breaky Heart.” She said, “We just got to be good friends because he’s a Kentucky boy, I’m from Tennessee.” It all started with him exclaiming, “We’re having a girl, and you’ve got to be her godmother!” And the rest is history.
Dolly Parton and Miley Cyrus are very close to each other and often make public appearances together. Parton is all praises for her girl. She thinks that besides being a “spectacular human being and an amazing talent,” Cyrus is smart and intuitive about the music business.
