Dolly Parton Wonders If the Coronavirus Is "God Slapping Us Upside the Head"

From Oprah Magazine

• Country icon Dolly Parton spoke to Today's Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager Bush from her home on Thursday.

• The singer discussed God's possible hand in the coronavirus pandemic, and her "passionate" relationship with Kenny Rogers,

• She also offered Kotb, who is engaged to Joel Schiffman, some marriage advice.

Like many of us, Dolly Parton is trying to make sense of the coronavirus pandemic and the worldwide impact it's had on every aspect of our lives. She's got some theories—and they're infused with the country legend's signature optimism.

The singer and literacy advocate spoked to the Today show's Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager from her home on April 2. Parton shared her thoughts on whether there could be any possible upside to the COVID 19 crisis.

"I know this is a scary time, and this is a weird, odd thing. But this is just so strange that I almost think that God has to be in this," Parton told Kotb and Bush Hager. "Because we've just gotten so scattered these days, there's just so much hate and violence, and just people fighting back and forth."

"Maybe God's kinda slapping us upside the head and saying, 'y'all better take a look at yourself,'" Parton continued. "'Y'all better take a look at each other, you better try to do a little better."

The musician remains hopeful that this, too, shall pass. "I do believe that when this is over, we're gonna be better people because of it," Parton said of the pandemic. "I think it's making us have to really stop and take a good luck at a lot of things, don't you?" The singer has sprung into action as well: She recently donated $1 million to researchers at Vanderbilt University to aid the search for a cure.

The Today duo couldn't resist requesting a little marriage advice for Hoda Kotb, who's engaged to her partner Joel Schiffman (especially given that she's been wed to her husband, Carl Dean, for 54 years this month).

"I would say if you're trapped in the house with him, Hoda, you might want to be in separate rooms," Parton joked. "Because the reason it's worked for me is I'm staying gone. I can't get away now! I'm stuck there with him. I might find out who he is—we might not make it till next anniversary, I don't know!"

She added of her notoriously private husband, "We both are very crazy people, and we have a completely different sense of humor, but we just absolutely laugh all the time and that's been true through the years. I think there's a whole lot to be said about being good friends, but a good sense of humor, like even right now during these times I've been making jokes about some of the stuff. People say, 'Oh you shouldn't be talking about that.' I say, 'Oh, I know it's no laughing matter what's going on, but laughter truly is the best medicine, and it's true with relationships as well.'"

Bush Hager also asked Parton about her longtime friendship with collaborator Kenny Rogers, who died on March 20. "We just knew each other so well. We're both kinda goofy and silly, have a warped sense of humor," Parton said. "So we had a lot of fun times together."

Traveling and working together for so long, Parton says "it was a very warm, real, deep, passionate relationship." But lest you worry for Parton's husband Carl Dean, it was "not a sexual relationship at all.. Though, if we'd have all been free, that might've happened." Ooh, la la!

Though Rogers was in poor health, Parton confessed that his death "shocked" her. "Now I've kind of put it in a peaceful place," though "I'll always treasure that time we had together."

Watch Parton's chat on Today below, in which she gifts us with a parody of her 1973 hit, "Jolene": "I'm beggin' of you, please don't touch my man—but if you do, please go wash your hands." Parton's full interview is over on the Today site.

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