Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly Split: Everything They've Said About Their Relationship
Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly have reached the end of their rainbow.
The country singer and her singer-songwriter husband, both 31, have called it quits after over two years of marriage, their reps confirmed to PEOPLE on Friday.
“These kinds of announcements are always met with scrutiny and speculation and we want to stop that before it even starts,” their joint statement read. “We believe that we were put into each other's lives for a divine reason and have both changed each other infinitely for the better. The love we have for each other goes far beyond the relationship we’ve shared as husband and wife. It's a soul connection that can never be erased."
"We've made this painful decision together — a healthy decision that comes after a very long period of trying the best we can. It simply just didn’t work,” their statement continued. “Though we are parting ways in marriage, we will remain true friends for the rest of our lives. We hold no blame, anger, or contempt for each other and we ask for privacy and positive wishes for us both as we learn how to navigate through this."
The news came months after Musgraves attended the CMA Awards with pal Gigi Hadid as her date in November. Both the star and Kelly, who tied the knot in Tennessee, have since deleted their 2017 wedding photos from their social media accounts.
Although the pair rarely made public appearances together, Musgraves spoke candidly about their love story last year, explaining that he was the inspiration behind her Grammy-winning album Golden Hour.
A few months after meeting at a 2016 songwriters showcase at the famous Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Kelly went over to Musgraves’ house to write — “and then it was ‘That’s all she wrote.’ Pun intended. Everything was right,” she told Glamour in March 2019.
She went on to explain that the time period was a “big opening of heart” for her, which proved to be a recipe for success while writing her new music.
“I started to see the world in a more fond, pretty light,” Musgraves said. “After meeting this person who really allows me to just be myself, not have to walk on eggshells for any reason, songs started pouring out.”
“If I wouldn’t have blocked off time to get off the road and try to create a new album and have the time to explore creatively, it makes me wonder if I would have met him,” she continued. “It was perfect timing.”
In a sweet nod to Kelly, Musgraves even dedicated her Grammy Award for best country album to him. “Thank you so much to my family. My sweet husband is down here, Ruston. I love you,” she said. “I really believe I wouldn’t have this album if I hadn’t met you and you didn’t open my heart like you did. So thank you so much.”
In another interview that same year, Musgraves said “everything changed” once she met Kelly — including her perspective on dating.
“It was the last thing I’d expected. I wasn’t gonna date,” Musgraves, who previously dated her former guitarist Misa Arriaga, told music journalist Holly Gleason in a HITS Daily Double interview about falling in love in 2016. “I built walls I didn’t know I was building, and I was in a place I didn’t understand.”
But after hearing Kelly sing at the Bluebird that fateful night, Musgraves said that she was inspired to step out of her comfort zone and take a chance. “When it was over, I went up and introduced myself. I said, ‘Hey, I don’t really ever do this, but here’s my number; I really wanna write with you.’"
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Months after their unexpected encounter, the pair got engaged on Christmas Eve.
“I didn’t say yes…I said HELL YESSSS!!!” Musgraves wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “Last night the best man I’ve ever met got down on one knee in my little pink childhood home. “In the same room I played with my ponies and barbies and asked me the easiest question I’ve ever been asked. I finally know what everyone means when they say, ‘You just know.’ ”
The “Black Magic” singer also shared the engagement news in his own post, which has since been deleted. “I have never met a more incredible partner and woman. Last night I became the luckiest, proudest and happiest man ever. I asked the brightest light in my life to marry me.”
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Musgraves and Kelly also shared loving tributes to one another after they tied the knot in October 2017.
“Saturday, in a sacred place where two rivers meet and join together, I married my best friend … barefoot and surrounded by the deepest kind of magic and love that exists. I’ve never felt so tranquil and happy,” Musgraves wrote at the time. “We made our promises to each other under the trees and then drank and danced into the night. We couldn’t have done any of it without the help of our wonderful families and amazing friends.”
“The best kind of magic. Best day of my life,” Kelly said.