Jake Owen and Wife Lacey Are Divorcing

"This is the hardest thing I've ever done in my life," the musician said Friday

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Published on August 7, 2015 03:55 PM

It’s over for Jake Owen and his wife Lacey.

The couple have decided to divorce after three years of marriage, the country singer announced Friday afternoon. The Owens are parents to daughter Pearl, 2½.

“I wanted to let my fans know how much I’ve appreciated their support of not only my career, but my family as a whole,” the musician, 33, said in a statement.

“Sadly, Lacey and I have decided to end our marriage. We want to focus on our daughter Pearl and make sure that she has a beautiful life with loving parents. We appreciate you respecting our privacy during this time.”

Owen, who met his wife when Buchanan Owen, now 26, appeared in his videos for “Eight Second Ride” and “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” added an addendum on Twitter: “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. We appreciate your support and privacy in this matter.”

The “Real Life” singer was candid about the difficulties in his marriage to America’s Morning Show in July.

“I didn’t think this was anyone’s business other than mine and my wife’s – but for the last few months, we’ve really been having a hard time, struggling with communication and literally talking about divorce,” he shared.

“After long conversations for days and weeks, part of us talking about it and getting it out there and letting people know that we’re the same as they are – we have problems, too – it made us feel better talking about the things we’ve kept from each other.”

The couple were in a different place shortly after Pearl’s birth, when Owen told PEOPLE his wife and daughter were “a great gift.”

“You can chase the dream all you want, you can make as much money as you want, but if you don’t have anyone to share it with, you’re not quite as far along as you thought,” he said at the time. “I have a lot more substance in my life now.”

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