EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: Dolly Parton’s reclusive husband of five decades Carl Dean seen out for the first time in 40 YEARS

Dolly Parton’s husband of 53-years Carl Dean was caught in a rare public sighting late last month.

The 77-year-old looked nondescript as he stepped out near the family estate in Brentwood, Tennessee aided by a personal assistant.

It was an unexpected outing for the ‘reclusive’ figure, who has been with country superstar Parton since 1964 but has avoided being photographed for a whole four decades.

Apparently Dean is partial to quite a reclusive lifestyle,  according to the National Enquirer.

A source explained: ‘He barely leaves the house and doesn’t really interact with people unless he absolutely has to – the total opposite of Dolly.’

‘Carl is still extremely reclusive and in any given week he will only leave the house a handful of times,’ they continued.

While the Jolene songstress and retired business owner Carl have been going strong for years, they’re reported to live quite independent lives.

‘Carl lives in a different building on the couple’s property in Brentwood, Tennessee,’ a source revealed.

The couple first met outside of a Nashville laundromat in 1964. They were wed two years later in a small Ringgold, Georgia ceremony attended only by Dolly’s mom and the pastor’s wife.

Throughout their five-plus decades of marriage, Dean has eschewed the spotlight, opting not to appear at events or on red carpets with his love.

Dolly even admitted that her love has only seen her perform live one time when she sat down to talk on the Ellen DeGeneres show in 2011.

Still, the Islands In The Stream singer calls Dean her ‘biggest fan behind the scenes.’

‘He’s always supporting me as long as I don’t try to drag him in on it,’ Parton told People during the October premiere of her Netflix project Heartstrings. ‘He’s always been my biggest fan behind the scenes, but he’s at home.’

Despite their differences, Dolly is very protective of her and Carl’s relationship.

‘She still loves him with all her heart but they’re largely living separate lives and have been for some time,’ a source told the Enquirer.

Dolly has long said that the distance keeps their love strong.

‘I always joke and laugh when people ask me what’s the key to my long marriage and lasting love,’ Parton told People in 2018. ‘I always say “Stay gone!” and there’s a lot of truth to that. I travel a lot, but we really enjoy each other when we’re together and the little things we do.’

The child-free couple reportedly renewed their wedding vows back in 2016 to mark their 50th anniversary.

Though the couple prefer to keep their relationship private, Dolly has assured fans that their love is steadfast.

‘We’re really proud of our marriage,’ the Islands In The Stream singer said of their union in 2011. ‘It’s the first for both of us. And the last.’

That doesn’t mean their relationship has been without drama.

Dolly admitted that she once had ‘an affair of the heart’ in the 2017 book Dolly On Dolly: Interviews And Encounters With Dolly Parton.

‘It just about killed me,’ she revealed in an interview, ‘I cried an ocean. But I ain’t gonna talk about it anymore. I’ve got to keep some mystery.’

Still, Parton has said that trust is at the foundation of her relationship with Dean, which she described as ‘open’ but not ‘sexually.’

‘He’s not jealous and I’m not jealous of him. He knows I flirt. He flirts too. Yes, it’s an open relationship, but not sexually and I would kill him if I thought he was doing that. He would shoot me too. At the end of the day we love each other madly,’ she said.