Burt Reynolds Accuses Dolly Parton of Ruining Their Relationship’s Charm

Dolly Parton's lighthearted joke about Burt Reynolds during the filming of a movie left him feeling disheartened, not only because it was slightly insulting, but also because it tarnished the public perception of their relationship.

Parton and Reynolds shared the screen in the film “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.”

Although Parton didn't particularly enjoy her time on set, she did develop a fondness for her co-star.

She revealed that both of them were going through rough patches in their lives, which brought them closer together.

However, Parton admitted that Reynolds wasn't always pleased with her actions.

On one occasion, she made a joke about him to the press, which prompted him to express his disappointment about her undermining their relationship's image.

Reynolds didn't appreciate the joke made by Dolly Parton

Whenever Parton collaborated with a male actor, rumors of a romantic involvement would inevitably arise, including with Reynolds.

When asked if she was romantically involved with him, Parton dismissed the idea.

“There were inevitable rumors that Burt and I were having an affair, and one day, during an interview, someone asked me if it was true,” Parton disclosed in her book, “Dolly: My Life and Other Unfinished Business.”

“‘Shoot, no!' I replied, ‘Burt and I are too similar to be involved.

We both wear wigs and high heels, and we both have a little extra around the middle.'”

Upon hearing this, Reynolds wasn't upset about the jest regarding his appearance, but rather about the fact that it eliminated any intrigue that could have stemmed from the rumors of an affair.

“Well, Burt caught wind of this quote and proceeded to give me a piece of his mind,” Parton recounted.

“‘You're destroying the magic,' he told me.

‘How are people going to perceive us as an item for the sake of this movie if we go around criticizing each other?'

I hadn't thought of it as criticism, and I explained that to him.

I was simply trying to make a joke.”

Nevertheless, it seems that Parton took his words seriously.

In subsequent interviews, she described her relationship with Reynolds as “sweeter than a love affair,” according to the book “Dolly on Dolly.”

Dolly Parton praised Burt Reynolds' kindness during the filming of ‘The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'

Despite the frustration caused by her remark, Parton affirmed that Reynolds had always been kind to her.

“Burt was always good to me,” she wrote.

“He took me to his dinner theater in Jupiter, Florida, and he commissioned a stunning painting for me, which now adorns the fireplace in my music room.

He has also been incredibly supportive of me at Dollywood.”

It appears that her joke eventually grew on Reynolds as well.

Parton shared that she later heard him making the same joke on a talk show.

“I know that Burt has a great sense of humor, and in hindsight, I'm sure he was just a bit more sensitive about it at the time,” Parton noted.

“He must have gotten over it because about a year later, I heard him using the same joke on a talk show.”

Parton apologized to Reynolds for a mishap that occurred during the filming

While Parton considered Reynolds a friend both on and off the set of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” she felt compelled to apologize to him following the completion of the shoot.

In one scene, Reynolds had to lift her, which proved to be quite challenging for him.

“The cameras started rolling, Burt lifted me up, and I could hear him groaning,” she revealed.

“I was significantly heavier at the time, probably the heaviest I had ever been.

Naturally, as it happens in movies, they had to repeat the scene a few times, and each time, Burt's groans grew louder.”

After filming concluded, Reynolds underwent surgery for a double hernia.

Parton jokingly sought his forgiveness.

“The week after shooting wrapped, Burt checked into the hospital for a double hernia operation,” she shared.

“I had been told that he had been experiencing problems prior to that, but I couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible.

So if anyone ever asks me if I broke Burt Reynolds's heart, I have to honestly say that the damage was a little further south.

Please forgive me, Burt.