Carly Pearce Gets Real About Her Marriage and Divorce on Dumb Blonde Podcast

It’s no secret that heartbreak defined a big chapter of Carly Pearce’s story. She first opened up about her year-long marriage and divorce from Michael Ray in her ACM nominated seven song EP 29 and later the full album, 29: Written in Stone. Now, she’s diving even deeper into what really happened during this relationship and breakup while appearing as a guest on Bunnie XO ‘s Dumb Blonde podcast.

Pearce went all the way back to the beginning, revealing she had known Ray through their life in the industry, but it wasn’t until she messaged him on Instagram back in 2018 that the romantic sparks started to fly.

“I’m going to be honest. I did. I thought he was so cute. I had heard he’s the nicest guy in the world and I invited him to my number one party for ‘Every Little Thing,” Pearce shared. “Looking back on it, it was just a very, very hot and heavy lust. It wasn’t love…It was just passionate.”

Pearce Knew The Relationship Was Right For Her

At the time, she and Ray were both in the prime of their careers and were feeling nothing but excitement as they formed a life together. Their passion grew so quickly that the couple decided to tie the knot in 2019 and while the songstress had every intention of going the distance together when they said “I do,” She knew in her heart that things weren’t going to last.

“I knew the night I got married, I shouldn’t have, if I’m being completely honest with you,” Pearce revealed.

She ended up filing for divorce less than a year after becoming husband and wife. This downfall of their relationship luckily took place during 2020, giving Pearce the time and the privacy to deal with the realization that her marriage was over.

“I think that I probably would’ve stayed in it longer if I could have avoided it and not had to. I was embarrassed when it happened, of course. And I had shame around that and was heartbroken. But I think if I had to do that in front of people, I would’ve prolonged that relationship longer,” she admitted.

The Breaking Point

When Bunnie asked what her final breaking point was in the relationship, Pearce simply stated, “It wasn’t what I signed up for.”

“It just wasn’t the marriage that I know I deserved. I knew that very quickly…We were only married for eight months. Plenty happened to where it was very clear to me this was not, this just wasn’t a marriage,” she revealed.

Neither Pearce nor Ray have publicly stated that infidelity was a cause in their marital struggles, but she did stress that the songs off her 29 album were inspired by real-life moments in their relationship. The Kentucky native also called attention to the fact that she “shut my mouth for so long” in regards to what really was going on behind closed doors and another woman that may have been involved at the time.

“I’m not here to blow anybody up or I don’t care anymore. But yeah, I mean when you’re faced with somebody that was a really dark season for you and then they go and blow it up on the internet, it’s just like, yeah…But also you go, I don’t know if he told her we were divorced. I don’t know. I don’t know. All I know is that was not a fun situation for me. And I think what’s harder is you want somebody at the end of it to just look you in the eye and be like, ‘yeah, I did this,’ but I never got any of that. And so it’s like I had to piece together a lot of things after the fact, but they were facts.”

Despite everything that has gone down between her and Ray, Pearce revealed she now has gratitude for him because of how much she learned about herself through that incredibly difficult period in her life. And while plenty of rumors, opinions and false statements still circulate, Pearce is confident in the fact that she knows the truth.

“You taught me how strong I am. You put me through things that have made me better now. And I don’t wish him evil. I don’t wish anything on him. I’m so glad that I’m not in that anymore,” she admitted.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Bunnie Xo. (@xomgitsbunnie)

Finding Healing In Her Fans

Pearce has found that a big part of her healing has come from the fans who share their similar stories and reveal how her music has gotten through their own tough times.

“The women that come up to me every day, whether it’s after a show, on the street, at the grocery store, and say to me, ‘you helped me through my pain,’ I’d do it all over again because it really is worth that. And I stand on stage singing songs like ‘What He Didn’t Do’ that literally crushed me to write and I’m like, just wait to see yourself after that situation because I don’t identify with her anymore,” she shared. “If you would’ve ever told me I would have ‘29’ tattooed on my arm, the worst year of my life, and I have it as a reminder of, oh no, no, no, no. That was a defining moment of your happiness.”

Then, came 2021, the year of nothing but celebration for Carly Pearce. She revealed that within a 12-month span, she got divorced, released her album, got invited by her “idol,” Dolly Parton to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry, became a two-time Female Vocalist of the Year, and won a GRAMMY.

Inside Pearce’s New Relationship

Pearce’s most recent life update with fans revealed that she is now feeling happier than ever in a brand-new relationship with a man named Jordan Karcher. She hard-launched the news in an Instagram post on July 25.

At the end of her podcast interview, the singer/songwriter revealed she and Jordan met on the dating app Raya and while they have only been together for around six months, they are “serious” about their connection.

“The stigmas that people put on women, I was like, I’m 35, I’m never going to meet somebody. And it’s like, oh, it’s so funny. I am happier than ever.”

She continued, “I just didn’t think you could meet a real person on Raya. I don’t know. I just felt like how am I going to be able to meet somebody that’s aligned with me? He’s not in any kind of entertainment, which is the best thing ever. But yeah, I’m just really happy. And again, I’m in this season of my life where I’m like, I don’t care what you think about me, because for so long it was like, well, everybody thinks I’m dating too many people and there’s something wrong with me because my relationship didn’t work. And it’s like, absolutely not. I hard launched it because I just don’t care anymore.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by c a r l y p e a r c e (@carlypearce)

When it comes to new music, fans can expect Carly Pearce to drop some of her “favorite” music that she’s ever made “really soon.”

“I just doubled down on the kind of music that I came to town wanting to make. I grew up loving Appalachian, Kentucky, like bluegrass roots music and…I just dove into it and it’s truly my favorite music I’ve made. So there’s a lot,” she revealed.

Bunnie XO’s Dumb Blonde Podcast is available HERE.