The last time we covered Maren Morris it was because she announced she was leaving country music. It’s been a time of big transitions for Maren, because two weeks after she made that announcement, on Oct 2, she filed for divorce. The date of filing is the same as the date of separation, so it happened fast. She and her estranged husband Ryan Hurd have a son together, Hayes, who was born in 2020. This all feels very sudden to me. When Maren announced she was leaving country and released a new EP, Ryan was supporting her choice on Instagram and signing his post “Love you, MM”.
Maren Morris and husband Ryan Hurd have called it quits after five years of marriage, Us Weekly can confirm.
Morris, 33, filed for divorce on October 2, citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the pair’s split in docs obtained by Us. Their date of separation matches the date of filing, and the twosome have a prenup in place.
Morris and Hurd, 36, met while cowriting the 2014 Tim McGraw hit “Last Turn Home,” sparking a friendship before their dynamic turned romantic. They officially began dating in 2015, with Hurd proposing two years later. The musicians tied the knot in Nashville in March 2018.
He came to her defense after she was dragged for exiting country: Last month, Hurd once again stood up for Morris after she hinted she was ready to leave the world of country music for good. (She released an EP in September titled The Bridge, which included fiery songs “The Tree” and “Get the Hell Out of Here.”)
“She deserves to be celebrated, not just tolerated,” Hurd wrote via Instagram on September 20, sharing a pic of Morris’ album cover. “I love the response from people who don’t just love these two songs, they needed them. … Most people would just shut up and keep collecting the paycheck, because the wave of vitriol is real and it’s hard.”
Hurd declared that he was “so sick of watching” as Morris got “the s–t kicked out of her” online for her progressive beliefs. “She deserves a little sunshine for the burden she has carried for every artist and fan that feels the same way. … I can’t wait to make music that follows the same path, whatever that is,” he wrote, concluding, “Love you, MM. Keep on keeping’ on.”
The dynamics of Ryan passionately defending his wife, only to have her file for divorce two weeks later is…interesting. I wonder what happened. Occam’s razor suggests infidelity whenever there’s a sudden split. But I also think it’s possible that Maren is in the process of an even deeper transformation. beyond just switching musical genres. Maybe she is, to quote the great philosopher Kylie Jenner, in a year of “realizing things.” And one of the things she realized was that she didn’t want to be married anymore. I think sometimes when we make big changes in our careers, we re-examine our relationships and vice versa. I hope the divorce proceedings are as organized and painless as these things can be, and that they can be good co-parents for little Hayes. And I’m hoping we hear a bit more about why Maren up and left. Maybe we’ll learn more on her next album.
photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
