Dolly Parton repeatedly turned down one of America’s most prestigious civilian honors, including two offers from Donald Trump and the reason was far more personal than political. After Parton’s death at 80, her unusual decision has resurfaced, revealing how carefully she kept politics away from her public life. During a 2021 appearance on Today, Parton explained that her husband, Carl Dean, was ill when she first received the offer. “I couldn’t accept it because my husband was ill,” she said. When the honor was offered again, the COVID-19 pandemic made travel another hurdle. “And then they asked me again about it and I wouldn’t travel because of the COVID,” she explained.
