Dolly Parton Recreates Her 1978 Playboy Shoot for Husband’s Birthday — Bunny Costume and All
After decades of marriage, it’s easy for couples to fall into a rut — that is, unless you’re singer Dolly Parton and her husband of 57 years, Carl Thomas Dean. To celebrate Dean’s birthday, Parton decided to spice things up by recreating her iconic 1978 Playboy magazine cover, including wearing the signature bunny ears and costume.
Parton took to Instagram and posted a video update in her Playboy getup, mentioning that she once famously said she’d pose for the magazine again when she was 75, which she turned back in January. Unfortunately, the publication’s print edition folded several years ago, so she decided to use her husband’s birthday as the opportunity to strike a pose once again. “[Carl] still thinks I’m a hot chick after 57 years,” she said, “and I’m not gonna try and talk him out of it.” Awwwww.
The singer also showed us what the two portraits look like side by side, and she had a few funny things to say about them. “I was kind of a little butter ball in [the first] one. Well, I’m string cheese now. But he’ll probably think I’m cream cheese — I hope,” she joked with a wink.
Dean has largely stayed out of the spotlight for the vast majority of Parton’s career, only making rare public appearances throughout the decades and being a supportive spouse behind the scenes. However, Parton gave us the smallest of glimpses into what her husband looks like now in her video by showing us a photo of her presenting the past and present Playboy covers to him — though all we saw was the back of his head.
It looks like Parton’s also busy with quite a few other projects, including a perfume launch coming up next week called “Scent From Above.” Leave it to Parton to fit a photo shoot into her schedule in the middle of everything else.
Regardless, it sounds like such a lovely surprise between such a strong couple. And a very happy birthday to Carl!
