Dolly Parton has denied the persistent rumours that she is dating her childhood friend Judy Ogle.
In an interview with Nightline, the country music star addressed the recurring rumour.
"We still just have a great friendship," the 66-year-old explained. "And I love her as much as I love anybody in the whole world, but we're not romantically involved."
Dolly compared the rumours to speculation that Oprah Winfrey was dating her friend Gayle King.
"Like Gayle, her friend, Judy, my friend,” the singer explained. "[People] just think that you just can't be close to somebody."
The star also spoke in the interview about a time that she entered a drag show competition.
"They had a bunch of Chers and Dollys that year," the singer said. "So I just over-exaggerated — made my beauty mark bigger, the eyes bigger, the hair bigger, everything."
"They just thought I was some little short gay guy," joked the singer. "I got the least applause."
Dolly also denied gay rumours on Larry King's talk show back in 2009 and remains an advocate for gay rights.
