Dolly Parton and her husband Carl Dean have been married for 54 years, and while you rarely see Dolly with Carl, she insists he does actually exist. Apparently there are folks out there who actually believe that Carl is imaginary, but, in case you missed it, Dolly tells “Entertainment Tonight” that’s just not true.

“A lot of people have thought that through the years, because he does not want to be in the spotlight at all,” Dolly shares. “It’s just not who he is.” She adds, “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.”

Dolly notes, “I’ve always respected and appreciated that in him and I’ve always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can,” adding, “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.’ And we do and we have. We’ve been together 56 years, married 54.”

Source: Entertainment Tonight