It was love at first sight for the musician when he met Beth Leonard for the first time. More in Darius Rucker's ex-wife here...
Many country music fans ask— “Is Darius Rucker Married?” The answer to that question is a little complicated. On July 11, 2020, Darius and Beth Leonard Rucker surprised fans by announcing the end to their marriage via social media. Learn more about Darius Rucker’s ex-wife and their love story below!
“Beth and I would like to share that after 20 years of marriage and much reflection we have made the decision to consciously uncouple. We remain close friends and parenting partners and continue to be each other’s biggest cheerleaders. Our priority will always be our beautiful family. We have so much love in our hearts for each other and will continue to encourage growth and expansion in one other. Please be kind as we take on this journey, and we thank you for your love and support always,” Darius shared via Instagram.
As their marriage has come to an end, let’s go back to the beginning of their relationship. When the star first laid eyes on Beth, he knew she was the one. “I don’t know what it was about her,” Rucker once told his label, UMG Nashville. “I mean, it was EVERYTHING about her. I told her I was going to marry her on our first date.”
The lovebirds’ first meeting occurred in New York, where Beth, a New Jersey native, was working for VH1. It’s no accident that she was involved in the entertainment industry, booking talent, planning events and working alongside artists and managers. Perhaps this is one of the reasons she and Rucker connected; she understands the demands of the industry, and is willing to put up with them. Rucker was still rolling with Hootie and the Blowfish at the time, and the young professional took a liking to him while he was in town. Though it was love at first sight for Rucker, Beth preferred playing hard to get.
Darius describes their early interaction as, “I had been trying to get her to go out with me, and she wouldn’t. I was in New York [with Hootie & the Blowfish], and it was one of those rare nights off. I didn’t have anything to do — we always had something to do when we were in New York! We had the night off, and I was just in my hotel room. She called me and said, ‘Hey, do you want to go see this play?’ I was like, ‘Sure!’”
Together, they have raised three children— Carolyn (born in 1995 to Rucker and a former girlfriend), Daniella Rose (born in 2001), and Jack (born in 2005).
According to Rucker, Beth has been there for him through it all. She backed up his decision to transition from Hootie and the Blowfish to a solo country artist. “The funny thing is, he’s actually a country guy, and he always wanted to be a little more country,” she explained to The Boot. “[Hootie guitarist Mark Bryan] is actually the rock guy, so Mark always wanted the band to be rock rock rock … Hootie’s more country than some of those country bands.”
It takes special people to raise a family with the demands of the spotlight. “Beth’s a strong woman,” Rucker shared in a past interview. “It takes a strong woman to be married to a musician, especially a musician who was drinking and partying as hard as I was. And I thank her every day for staying with me and being the strong woman she is, because with Hootie & the Blowfish, I could be gone for three months, and then I’d come home for two days, and then I’d be gone again for a month, and she put up with all that.”
Since their spilt, Darius has relocated to Nashville and lives with their teenage son, Jack. Take a tour of his new home here.