Star of country music Carly Pearce separated from fellow musician Michael Ray and experienced a personal storm. After being married in 2019, the pair decided to split up because of their intractable disagreements. Pearce, who is renowned for her poignant lyrics, had to navigate the rugged terrain of divorce and subsequently opened up about it in her songs.
Carly Pearce persevered in the face of heartbreak, transforming her personal experiences into potent artistic representations. Pearce’s real stories and poignant performances enthralled audiences even as she dealt with the difficulties of love and grief.
Carly Pearce Divorce
In October 2019, Carly and Michael exchanged vows on a property located in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Michael stated he expected marriage would bring him “this whole other level of love” in an interview with PEOPLE at the time.
Carly continued by saying that she loved Michael for his “selfless heart” and that she was “so excited to embark on this next chapter of our lives together.” After first laying eyes on one other at a Nashville honky tonk the year before their wedding, the ex-couple had a pretty rapid affair.
Even though they appeared to be the ideal musical pair, Michael and Carly announced their separation eight months after getting married, and Carly filed for divorce.
Announcing Their Split
In June 2020, rumors surfaced that the couple was divorcing. A source told PEOPLE that the breakup wasn’t the consequence of a “quarantine realization.” Later that year, Carly spoke about their split, saying she and Michael “very quickly realized we were not meant to be,” but she doesn’t regret their union.
In 2021, she also stated to US Weekly, ‘It was awful. I mean, I’m being candid with you, that it was so embarrassing. It was so shameful. I felt like I had failed. I felt like… I would never find love again because I was divorced at so young and was just embarrassed.’
The celebrity also disclosed that Kelsea Ballerini, a friend and fellow country music artist who has also separated from her ex-husband Morgan Evans, assisted her in going public with her breakup. ‘She goes, “Do you realize that you could help put a face to something that people think is so bad? But yet, you’re showing them that they can get through it too”,’ Carly recalled.
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Releasing What He Didn’t Do
Fans clocked the words to Carly’s fourth number-one single, “What He Didn’t Do,” raising eyebrows.
The chorus goes: ‘Treat me right, put me first / Be a man of his word / Stay home ’cause he wanted to / Always fight for my love / Hold on tight like it’s somethin’ / That he couldn’t stand to lose / The devil’s in the details / I won’t tell the hell that he put me through / All I know is in the end / It wasn’t what he did / It was what he didn’t do.’
In a statement, Carly revealed a little more about the song’s backstory, saying, “Life goes on.” When you’re reeling, feeling foolish, and incredibly upset, you know that. However, there comes a point at which those feelings begin to fade.
At that point, you ask yourself what went wrong in the mirror and make an effort to grow from your errors. That’s the source of What He Didn’t Do. It definitely seems to me like a song about hope and attempting to learn more before going on.
Carly stated to Music Row, ‘I wrote What He Didn’t Do at a time when I needed to be reminded of my worth and that I deserved better.’ ‘I knew it was exceptional from the moment we wrote it.’ It’s a song about hope and reminding yourself of your worth as you go.
‘Out of all of my singles, this one I am most proud of. I am thankful that country radio wrapped their arms around it to allow fans to hear the message.’
