3 Red Flags Maren Morris & Ryan Hurd's Marriage Was Doomed

Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd's marriage might have been doomed from the start. 

Unfortunately, Morris has filed to divorce Hurd, according to Us Weekly. Citing irreconcilable differences, Maren petitioned to end their marriage on October 2. Hopefully, the couple — who has a prenup — can cordially part ways without too much public drama. According to People, one stipulation of their divorce includes both parties attending a parenting seminar, which the outlet reported Morris completed in mid-October.

Morris gave birth to their son, Hayes Andrew Hurd, in March 2020. A few months before Hayes' delivery, his parents happily gushed about his future arrival at the 2019 CMA awards. "I'm really proud of Maren and it's fun to be here as a party of three for the first time," Ryan told E! News. "He's not going to be invited back for a couple years, so this is his one shot to walk the carpet and be at the CMAs for a while." Three years earlier, Ryan surprised Morris with a July 4 proposal even though they were surrounded by their loved ones. "It was a beautiful night, and there weren't a lot of people on the water," Ryan told Rare Country (via The Boot). "It was July 3, so there were fireworks all around the lake, and I told her I bought all those fireworks just for her," he added.  

But the couple definitely had some issues during their marriage, too.

Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd's early relationship was professional, not romantic, in nature. According to Pure Wow, Tim McGraw brought them together as they met while co-penning a song for him. The eventual couple also collaborated throughout their courtship and marriage, penning records including "Circles Around This Town," "All My Favorite People," and "Pass It On," per Billboard, for themselves and other artists. During a May 2022 interview with People, the couple gushed about their extensive collaboration history. "It feels like, right now, we're doing a ton of music stuff together and I really enjoy that," Hurd said. "It's been really an awesome little period of time for us." 

While both parties seemed happy to collaborate at the time, it's possible that working together constantly, on top of living and raising a family together, was simply too much stress on their relationship. And while songs are often fictional in nature, we must also add that their song, "Chasing After You," featured lyrics about a couple cycling through an on-again, off-again romance. "But I know, yeah I know it's a matter of time / 'Till you walk, 'till you walk back out of my life," Hurd sings (via Genius). Were these lyrics a reflection of their private dynamic or just a super sad coincidence? 

For most couples, the first year of marriage — the honeymoon phase — is the easiest. However, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd found themselves in an unfortunate predicament during their first stage as spouses. According to Esquire, the couple found it difficult to bond after Morris decided to join Niall Horan's tour. "It was probably the hardest part of our relationship," Morris shared in 2019. "We went on our honeymoon, and then I immediately went on this gigantic tour opening for Niall Horan. It was more international touring than I had ever done." Morris also noted that the tour claimed more of her time than previous commitments. Fortunately, Morris revealed they eventually found a way to balance their schedules.

Three years later, however, they appeared to be struggling again. In August, Hurd took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and revealed the downsides of his and Morris' careers. "Hard part about this life: We tour separately because it's what we need to do," tweeted Hurd. "Part of it is financial, part of it is because we're at different places in building our careers." Hurd also revealed that, at the time, he hadn't seen Morris or his son but two times over the past three weeks. Sounds super stressful!

Ryan Hurd has always been Maren Morris' most loyal supporter, but her support for him hasn't been as evident. 

For example, Morris transitioned away from country music after amplifying important social justice causes, drawing ire from some country stars and fans. "I'm not shutting off fans of country music..." Morris shared on The New York Times podcast in October (via Today). "It's just the music industry that I have to walk away — a few factions — from." As Morris received criticism from country fans, Hurd posted a super long Instagram caption applauding Morris for her courage. In one section, he wrote, "I'm so sick of watching my wife get the sh*t kicked out of her by the internet." Hurd also wore his heart on his sleeve during their fifth anniversary when he shared a sweet Instagram picture of their personal portrait.

Morris doesn't seem to be as sentimental as Hurd. Overall, it seems that Morris featured Hurd considerably less on her social media. When she did, her tone wasn't nearly as romantic. When promoting the same joint appearance from April 2022, for instance, Hurd posted a sweet caption that ended with an "I love you" to Instagram. Morris was slightly more blunt. "I get to see him naked," she posted on Instagram. Morris may not have been as comfortable with being vulnerable online, but that difference in communication styles could have become an issue in the long run.