On Thanksgiving (Nov. 23, 2023), Dolly Parton got a lot of attention for her wardrobe choice. She performed at halftime of the Dallas Cowboys' annual holiday game, which they won handily over the division rival Washington Commanders. For the occasion, Parton and her stylists added a new twist to the iconic Dallas Cowboys cheerleader uniform.
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It got people talking on social media, from naysayers who thought that Parton should dress more modestly at her age to those who found her bold move to be empowering.
While talking with People recently about the launch of her newest Duncan Hines cake mixes, Parton shared a different perspective: that of her husband, the elusive Carl Dean.
"It turned out pretty cool and my husband liked it. He said, 'Those shorts were a little too short.' I said, 'Jealous?'" Parton told the outlet. "And I said, 'They weren't as short as the other girls!' He was just being funny. I think he thought —because everybody's making a to-do over it — he thought, well, maybe you shouldn't be showing your butt at that age. But anyway, he got a kick out of it too."
The Thanksgiving day game fell just six days after the release of Parton's Rockstar album. The covers- and superstar collaborators-heavy project was made in part because Dean's a longtime rock 'n' roll fan.
"I'm doing the rock 'n' roll album because of [Dean]" Parton told People. "I had often thought about doing a rock 'n' roll album for him with his favorite songs. And so when this all came about, I decided that I am going to go ahead and do it... It was just the perfect storm. Okay, it's time."
Parton's fresh off her 78th birthday, which was last Friday (Jan. 19).
