While fans of Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans may have been caught off guard by their split, the country singers had seen the writing on the wall.
“I think when there’s a big life decision like that, it’s not a sudden one,” the Tennessee native told CBS Mornings in October 2022 of what led to her divorce. “And there’s a lot that happens before that becomes public. So, I’m on my, like, active healing journey.”
Ballerini added: “It’s not, like, volatile [between us], it just didn’t work and that sometimes is, like, a difficult narrative to get your head around when you’re like, ‘Oh, my gosh. This is a good person. And I’m a good person. And this is just no longer good anymore.’”
The Grammy Award nominee and the Australia native — who wed in December 2017 — announced their decision to separate in August 2022.
“Friends, I’ve always tried my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold,” Ballerini wrote via her Instagram Story at the time. “This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce. … This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end.”
The “Peter Pan” songstress officially filed for divorce hours before posting her social media statement, but a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the twosome’s connection had been on the rocks for years.
“They’ve been working on their marriage for many years and have even tried therapy,” the insider revealed at the time, noting that the pair had even “privately separated” briefly before calling it quits for good. “They ultimately decided that they had no choice but to officially separate.”
Us confirmed in November 2022 that Ballerini and Evans had reached a divorce settlement, shortly after the now-exes each released breakup songs about their experience.
“It’s been a rough few months in my life,” the “Day Drunk” crooner told Access Hollywood at the 2022 CMAs of the inspiration for his “Over for You” single. “Writing this song just really helped me sort through a lot of that.”
He noted: “One of the hardest parts [of going through a divorce] is how lonely it feels. It’s strangely comforting to realize that so many other people have been through it, which I didn’t.”
Scroll below for Ballerini and Evans’ most candid quotes — and song lyrics — about their breakup: