14 Surprising Country Music Divorces

Here we take a look at some of the major Country Music divorces that have occurred since 2000.  Marriage requires a lot of work and the complex pressures that come with fame can sometimes cause a once solid relationship to unravel. Fans often idolize power couples, especially when their lives seem so picture perfect from the outside. Let’s take a look back at fourteen country music divorces that shocked many…

Country Music Divorces

14)  Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans (2022)

The divorce filing happened in August 2022 and was finalized by October 2022. That same year, Evans released the song “Over for You” about how he felt blindsided by her decision to end the marriage — but Ballerini isn’t buying it. “Who you marry is not who you divorce,” she says.

Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd’s divorce came as a shock to fans. The couple, who married in 2018, had often shared their love story through music and social media. Their split highlighted the pressures of balancing fame, personal lives, and their careers.

Carly Pearce and Michael Ray seemed like a match made in country heaven, but their marriage ended in divorce after just eight months. Carly’s emotional album, 29, gave fans a raw and honest look at the heartbreak she endured.

Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly’s divorce was a bittersweet moment for fans who had followed their love story. The pair, who married in 2017, announced their split in a joint statement, emphasizing their mutual respect and decision to part as friends.

Though Jason Aldean’s divorce from Jessica Ussery occurred in 2013.  The fallout from his relationship with Brittany Kerr continued to generate headlines in the years that followed. Aldean and Kerr’s eventual marriage stirred debates among fans about fidelity and second chances.

9. LeAnn Rimes and Dean Sheremet

Country music singer LeAnn Rimes was just 19 years old when she married Dean Sheremet, who was 21 years old at the time. They married in 2002, and the couple made the decision to get a divorce in 2009. There were rumors that Rimes had an affair with actor Eddie Cibrian, who also filed for divorce from his wife around the same time.

“This decision was amicable, and we remain committed and caring friends with great admiration for one another,” Rimes and Sheremet shared in a statement together. However, many fans know that they did not always feel that way for each other when the rumors turned out to be true. Rimes has now been married to Cibrian since 2011.

8. Trace and Rhonda Adkins

7. Randy Travis and Lib Hatcher

6. Shania Twain and Robert John “Mutt” Lange

 

 5. Jake Owen and Lacey Buchanan

Jake Owen first met Lacey Buchanan on the set of his “8 Second Ride” music video, which she made an appearance in. The two began dating after she starred in his “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” video as well. They married in May 2012 and welcomed a daughter into their family later that year. Unfortunately, in July 2015, Owen admitted that him and his wife were at a difficult point in their relationship. They officially announced their divorce in August 2015 after three years of marriage.

 4. Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock (2015)

The famous country icon and her husband Narvel, who was her band member and manager, surprised fans when they announced their separation in 2015. They started working together in 1980 and married in 1989. Together they have one son, Shelby Blackstock.

Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock shocked the country music world when they announced their divorce after 26 years of marriage. Their joint statement about their separation read: “Despite this being the end of their marriage, they continue to support each other. They have worked together for 35 years and will continue to do so.”

 3. Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger

One of country’s longtime superstars, Kenny Chesney, and actress Renee Zellweger had a quick romance. The two met in January of 2005 and wed later in that May. However, just four months later in September, Zellweger filed for an annulment from Chesney. She cited fraud as the reason, which was only used for legal purposes. The two said in a joint statement that “the miscommunication of the objective of their marriage at the start is the only reason for this annulment” and that they “value and respect each other and are saddened that their different objectives prevent the success of this marriage.”

“I panicked, there’s no doubt about it,” Chesney mentioned. “I did the only thing I knew to do — I ran. I pushed her away… I didn’t have any clue as to what true marriage meant. I was so used to committing to one thing, music, and then I had to totally commit to a second thing, marriage. I didn’t know how to commit to both of them.”

2. Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl

Garth Brooks and his first wife, Sandy Mahl, ended their marriage in 2000 after being married for 14 years. Before the country superstar’s rise to fame, the couple married in 1986. Together, they have three daughters.

While this Country Music couple avoided divorce, Alan and Denise Jackson separated and then repaired their relationship.

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