- Kellie Pickler is a country music star who married musician Kyle Jacobs in 2011.
- Kyle died by an apparent suicide on Feb. 17, 2023
- His wife broke her silence on his death with an emotional statement on Aug. 17, 2023.
Kellie Pickler‘s husband, Kyle Jacobs, died on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, the Nashville Police Department confirmed to HollywoodLife. He shot himself in an upstairs room in their Nashville residence, according to TMZ. Kellie, 37, and her assistant found him after the musician woke up and became worried when Kyle was not asleep next to her.
On May 9, 2023, multiple outlets confirmed that Kyle’s official cause of death was suicide, and noted that a toxicology report by the Davidson Country Medical Examiner determined there was no sign of drug use in his system after his death, per E! News. An autopsy obtained by Taste of Country determined that his medical history at the time of death included “pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use.”
Most recently, the 37-year-old released a statement to PEOPLE about her late husband’s death on Aug. 17, 2023. It is notably the first time that Kellie has spoken publicly on the matter. “One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don’t know what to do, ‘do nothing, just be still,'” she said at the time. “I have chosen to heed his advice.”
She went on to express her gratitude for her loved ones and fans amid the somber time. “Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way,” Kellie added. “It has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers.” She concluded the note be announcing the memorial plans she has for Kyle. “I am planning an intimate memorial for my husband, which will happen later this fall, that is what Kyle would have wanted,” she noted.
The adorable couple walked down the aisle in 2011 and had no children together. Read on to learn about Kellie Pickler’s late husband, Kyle Jacobs, and their relationship.
Kellie Pickler’s Husband Was Kyle Jacobs
Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs tied the knot on Jan. 1, 2011. According to Wikipedia, Kyle was born June 26, 1973 and grew up in Bloomington, Minn. Like his famous wife, he was a multi-talented musician who sang, wrote songs, and played piano and guitar. Kellie was born on June 28, 1986, which made her hubby a full 13 years her senior.
The Couple Met Through Friends In 2007
Kyle and Kellie met at a bar in 2007 through mutual friends from Nashville. Kellie explained that she was there with some songwriter pals when she met Kyle during a Nov. 2015 interview on the Fox daytime talk show, The Real. “So we ended up sitting with him and his buddies, and we got lost in conversation and everybody else disappeared,” she gushed.
Even better, they started working together right away, and they clicked creatively as well as romantically. “We started writing songs the next day, and then we got hitched, well, that happened a few years later,” she added.
Kyle & Kellie Eloped For A New Year’s Day Wedding
The country music couple got engaged on June 15, 2010 in Rosemary Beach, Fla., and it was supremely romantic! While on vacation, Kyle gave Kellie a journal, an engagement ring, and a seashell with “Faye” (the name of Kellie’s late grandmother) inscribed on it. “It was like my beautiful angel, the one I call Mom, was giving us her blessing,” Kellie later wrote in a 2017 Instagram post. “Still and forever crazy in love.”
The couple wound up eloping in Antigua on Jan. 1, 2011, forgoing their original plan of a massive wedding celebration in Nashville. “All we did was I packed the wedding dress and packed him an outfit,” Kellie told Ellen DeGeneres during a 2011 appearance, per PEOPLE. “We totally just put faith in God that it was all going to work out, and it did, and it was the most incredible day of my life.”
They Never Had Children
Kellie and her hubby never had children together, but they were devoted pet parents! When asked about the pandemic “baby boom” in 2020, the American Idol alum responded sweetly. “I love being Aunt Kellie and that is perfect for me,” she told Us Weekly in Aug. 2020. Kellie also laughed that she needed “another drink” after thinking about having kid and asked if the coronavirus spike in babies was “really a thing.” At the time, Kellie said they were proudly parenting “two little small puppies”.
Kyle Wrote For Some Of Country Music’s Biggest Stars
Kyle was a star in his own right! He’s a co-writer on the Garth Brooks hit “More Than a Memory.” The behind-the-scenes powerhouse also shared rights on Kimberley Locke‘s “8th World Wonder” and written songs for country icons including Kelly Clarkson, Craig Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Trace Adkins, Tim McGraw, Scotty McCreery, Clay Walker, and of course, Kellie. He also collaborated with Wynonna Judd, as well as Darius Rucker and Rachel Thibodeau.
Kyle & Kellie Starred In A CMT Reality Series
From 2015 to 2017, the couple starred together on the CMT reality series I Love Kellie Pickler! It spanned 13 episodes and premiered on Nov. 15, 2015. It showcased the positive aspects of their lives, and the couple reportedly went out of their way to keep it drama-free.
“We want to keep it light and positive,” she told The Associated Press while shooting the series in 2015. “There’s enough darkness out in the world. And there’s enough negativity on television.” Kyle added that “there’s no crazy drama.” Further supporting their stance, the “Red High Heels” singer said, “There are no cat fights. We don’t have cats. … He’s allergic.”