The Real Reason Kacey Musgraves Split From Her Husband

It seems Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly's relationship wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. In July 2020, the former flames announced they were getting a divorce after more than two years of marriage, People reported.

Even though Musgraves and Kelly were hardly seen together in public, the country star previously gushed about how the stars aligned when she saw Kelly for the first time. In 2016, the musical artists met at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tenn., where Musgraves was impressed by Kelly's stage presence and tunes. "His songs made me really emotional," she recalled to Glamour in 2019. "I thought, 'This guy's really clever, whoever he is.'" 

As fate would have it, the two struck up a conversation and a few months after their initial meeting, Kelly went to Musgraves' house so they could write new material together. "And then it was, 'That's all she wrote.' Pun intended. Everything was right," she gushed. "I didn't have to shift any part of my personality to make it fit together, which isn't really something I've had before."

Musgraves and Kelly said "I do" in October 2017, per People, and Musgraves "started to see the world in a more fond, pretty light," which, in part, led to her Grammy award-winning album, Golden Hour, which came out in 2018. "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." 

So, how did the couple go from head over heels to falling out of love? We dissect their relationship below.

Kacey Musgraves and Ruston Kelly announced they were parting ways in July 2020, and the pair got candid about why their marriage wasn't meant to be."These kinds of announcements are always met with scrutiny and speculation and we want to stop that before it even starts," the former couple told People in a joint statement. "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."

Despite calling it quits, the country stars made it clear that there is no animosity between them. "Though we are parting ways in marriage, we will remain true friends for the rest of our lives," they explained. "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."

While the initial news might have shocked fans, there were subtle hints that Musgraves and Kelly were seemingly struggling behind the scenes. In November 2019, Musgraves brought Gigi Hadid as her date to the Country Music Awards instead of her husband. One month later, Musgraves and Kelly took down their 2017 wedding photos on their Instagram and Twitter accounts, per Refinery29. Adding fuel to the fire, the two continued to delete all photos of one other on their respective social media accounts.

Kacey Musgraves wasn't shy when it came to talking about her husband, Ruston Kelly. For instance, in March 2018, she told Texas Monthly that when she met Kelly, it was "like when Dorothy opens a door in the Wizard of Oz, and the world turns into color from black and white." Rainbows and butterflies aside, Musgraves revealed the pair were "both independent" — perhaps another reason as to why they called it quits. However, it seems like the country stars were able to work out any kinks in their relationship at the time. 

"You have to respect each other, respect each other's space, and just make the effort," she told Entertainment Tonight in November 2019, opening up about how they made time for one another with their busy schedules. "... [W]e both love what we do, but at the end of the day, you just gotta both make the effort to come back together and it always benefits from that."

So who was better at making the effort? "He's definitely nicer than me," she quipped during the interview. "Like, hands down, he's a nicer person than I am for sure."

After Kacey Musgraves met Ruston Kelly, their relationship went from 0 to 100 rather quickly. In 2016, the couple met for the first time in Nashville, Tenn., and they tied the knot in October 2017. In July 2020, the couple announced they were going their separate ways, but they made it clear that their relationship was special and worth their time.

"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 former couple told People in a joint statement. "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."

After the "Rainbow" songstress took home a Grammy Award for Best Country Album in 2019, she dedicated the prestigious award to her husband. "Thank you so much to my family," she began (via People). "My sweet husband is down here, Ruston. I love you. 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." Just think: If Musgraves hadn't met Kelly, she might not have written Golden Hour, so we'd say the juice was worth the squeeze.

We're wishing Musgraves and Kelly all the best as they try to navigate their new normal going forward.