- calendar_today August 26, 2025
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Country singer Carly Pearce has spoken openly about some of the lowest moments of her personal life. The Grammy-winning artist has revealed that she knew on the day of her wedding that her marriage to country singer Michael Ray was a mistake.
Pearce made the shocking admission during a recent appearance on Bunnie XO’s Dumb Blonde podcast. During the episode, the singer opened up about her love life, including her romance and eventual divorce from Ray, with whom she married in 2019.
Pearce & Michael Ray’s Romance and Marriage
Pearce, who was born and raised in Kentucky, is known for hit songs like Every Little Thing, Should’ve Known Better, Before You Talkin’ About Love, Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, and Closer to You. The star also has a popular podcast of her own, Sunshine & Rhinestones, which has featured a number of notable country music stars.
According to Pearce, the relationship between her and Ray began out of “lust” rather than genuine love. In short order, the two got engaged and married in 2019. However, Pearce’s self-described whirlwind romance ended in divorce eight months later.
Pearce, who said she once thought Ray was “the nicest guy in the world,” explained the situation to Bunnie XO. “I knew the night I got married that I shouldn’t have,” Pearce said. “I told you we started with so much lust. It was so hot and heavy, and I knew. But we never actually had real conversations; we just never got into that. It was just passion, not love.”
Pearce further elaborated, “When I married him, I married him to go the distance. It was for the right reasons, at that point.” The singer went on to say that despite the passion of the relationship, she and Ray “didn’t have real conversations” that would have “prepared me” for life after the marriage. “It was just a month after month of not really setting that foundation for a marriage and long-term relationship,” Pearce added. “I was just lost and didn’t know how to find myself, I guess. I didn’t really have that outlet and felt like I wanted to find it.”
Pearce said that even though the marriage was over, it was a blessing in disguise that it happened amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “I think the best thing that ever happened to me was COVID because it allowed me to deal with that in private. I probably would have stayed in it longer if I could have avoided it and not had to. I was embarrassed when it happened, and I left, and there was a lot of shame around that and heartbreak,” Pearce said.
Pearce & Ray’s Divorce Rumors and Pearce’s Worth
Pearce and Ray divorced in 2020 after eight months of marriage. While she has remained tight-lipped about the exact reason for their divorce, Pearce recently said that she knew it wasn’t going to work out after she got married. “It wasn’t what I signed up for,” she said. “It just wasn’t the marriage that I knew I deserved. I knew that very quickly. Plenty happened to where it was very clear to me this was not, this just wasn’t a marriage.”
Pearce also shared how some rumors have affected her after her divorce. During her chat with Bunnie XO on the Dumb Blonde podcast, Pearce and Bunnie briefly talked about the rumors of infidelity that have since circulated on the internet.
Pearce has not confirmed or denied the rumors, but it was clear that she was deeply affected by them. “People have all their opinions, and, at first, that was so hard for me because I was like, ‘That’s not true, that’s not true, that’s not true. What he’s saying isn’t true.’ But, at the end of the day, my friends who walked that with me know. My parents know, and God knows, and that is enough. It’s enough,” Pearce said.
Pearce said she learned more about herself during the experience. She claimed that she emerged from the divorce stronger and more sure of her self-worth than she had been before the marriage. “I am in the happiest season of my life,” Pearce said. “If I ever saw him, if he ever watches this, thank you, because you taught me more about myself. You taught me how strong I am. You put me through things that have made me better now. And I don’t wish him evil. I don’t wish anything on him. I’m so glad that I’m not in that anymore.”
Pearce added, “I think I was really shown just how much I care about myself. I actually really have a lot of self-worth, and that showed me that.”
