What Carrie Underwood's Exes Have Said About Her

Much like Taylor Swift, country darling Carrie Underwood is no stranger to revenge ballads and soaring love songs alike. Her 2005 hit "Before He Cheats" won a Grammy, but more than that, it won us over with its relatable depiction of a woman scorned. In 2023, Underwood once again got real about romance, digging into the common truth that many of us still think about our exes – specifically, the people our exes date after us. 

Plugging her 2023 track "Give Her That," Underwood explained in a promotional Instagram post, "'[The song] is a story about a relationship that is no longer. The person has kinda moved on and it's like I see who you're with." The singer further explained, "You know, she's beautiful. She's perfect. We can all give her that, but you can't give her the time that we spent together. And I feel like everybody's kinda got some of that in their lives."

The lyrical content had fans wondering whether Underwood had a certain ex on her brain. Maybe that's because before she settled down with NHL star Mike Fisher and welcomed two children, Underwood dated some of the hottest A-listers in Hollywood. One of her most high-profile relationships was with former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, circa 2007. Though Underwood didn't have the nicest things to say about her ex, Romo responded differently. In fact, her exes generally all had favorable things to say about their time with her.

When Tony Romo and Carrie Underwood began dating in 2007 after Underwood's winning turn on "American Idol," they seemed like a good fit. "We were both small town people doing very big things, and we relied on each other, dealing with fame," Underwood explained to Allure in 2008 (via Fox News). Just Jared reported that the pair made their first public appearance at the 2007 Country Music Awards, but split just a few months later.

Even after the breakup, Romo was complimentary about his ex. "I've been lucky to get to know [Carrie]. We're friends," the quarterback told Sports Illustrated (via The Columbus Dispatch). For her part, Underwood continued to cheer for Romo's team, the Dallas Cowboys, and stayed in touch with Romo — even as he moved on with Jessica Simpson. "The phone will ring and it'll be [Romo], and I'll maybe not answer," she confessed to Allure.

However, there was a lot going on behind the scenes that fans didn't know about, and Underwood soon changed her tune. As the "Somethin' Bad" hitmaker explained (via Us Weekly), "[Romo] is about football. I don't know if it's that I'm not quite his type or whatever, but I don't think he's at the point in his life where he would be willing to sacrifice football." Underwood has a point; even though Romo is no longer playing quarterback, he hasn't strayed far from the football field. Today, he's one of CBS Sports' most prominent NFL commentators.

Anyone who watched (the OG) "Gossip Girl" will remember Chace Crawford's take on high-society teen Nate Archibald. Crawford romanced Carrie Underwood IRL after the singer split from Tony Romo in late 2007. That October, Underwood hinted that she had a crush on the "Gossip Girl" hottie, telling People that Crawford was "really cute." She added, "I've met him and he just seems like a really nice guy. He's got cool hair, he's a nice height and he just has beautiful blue eyes." Though neither Underwood nor Crawford publicly confirmed their relationship, Crawford's "Gossip Girl" co-star Nicole Fiscella told People they were "the cutest couple."

Since their romance timeline was murky, fans weren't sure when they had broken up. In February of 2018, Crawford told a New York Times reporter who asked about Underwood, "You're under the assumption that we're dating now." The "American Idol" winner insisted their breakup was mutual, but a source told People that she was the one "who broke Chace's heart." When Crawford opened up about the breakup, he had "nothing bad to say" about his ex. "It was awesome," the actor told People Magazine (via NY Post). "I just didn't know how to deal with it. I learned a ton about dating someone in that kind of spotlight. It was such a whirlwind, but no regrets."

Underwood then moved on quickly and got engaged to Mike Fisher later in 2008. However, Crawford wasn't fazed. "I wish her the best," he told Us Weekly.