Country star reveals frustrating misconception fans still have four years after her divorce

The country star, 34, split from Michael Ray, 36, in June 2020, but says fans still can’t help continue to speculate over what – or who – her songs are about.

The Grammy winner shared the information after a fan asked her what the biggest public misconception about her is during a recent Q&A on social media.

The songstress replied: ‘That I’m not over my divorce.’

She added that many of her listeners seemed to assume she was still writing about her divorce in the new songs she was releasing – but it was not something she thought about anymore.

Carly Pearce is sick of people asking about her heartbreak - especially because she's been divorced for four years

View gallery

Carly Pearce is sick of people asking about her heartbreak – especially because she’s been divorced for four years

‘It’s been super hard to feel like every song I write since that very public situation is being attached that relationship, when in reality – that couldn’t be further from the truth,’ she said.

The singer added: ‘I’ve had relationships since then that I pull inspo (inspiration) from & even story lines that are just important to me in general.’

Carly, who was born in Taylor Mill, Kentucky, became a household name in 2017 with her song Every Little Thing.

Her latest hits are about heartbreak and breakups – with songs including I Hope You’re Happy Now, Next Girl and Never Wanted To Be That Girl.

She married Michael Ray on October 6, 2019 in Nashville at a farm surrounded by 100 friends and family.

The lovebirds gushed about each other soon after they wed in an interview with People.

‘Knowing without a shadow of a doubt that I didn’t settle for something less than truly the person that I think was made for me is something that I am thankful for,’ Carly said after their wedding.

‘No matter what, I have her in my corner. No matter what, she has me in her corner. I tell her, you’re never going to face anything alone. Never will there be anything in life that you don’t look over and I’m standing beside you,’ Michael said.

She married Michael Ray on October 6, 2019 in Nashville at a farm surrounded by 100 friends and family and they divorced eight months later

View gallery

She married Michael Ray on October 6, 2019 in Nashville at a farm surrounded by 100 friends and family and they divorced eight months later

The Grammy winner shared the information after a fan asked her what the biggest public misconception about her is during a recent Q&A on social media

View gallery

The Grammy winner shared the information after a fan asked her what the biggest public misconception about her is during a recent Q&A on social media

She added that many of her listeners seemed to assume she was still writing about her divorce in the new songs she was releasing - but it was not something she thought about anymore

View gallery

She added that many of her listeners seemed to assume she was still writing about her divorce in the new songs she was releasing – but it was not something she thought about anymore

She hit back saying: 'I've had relationships since then that I pull inspo (inspiration) from & even story lines that are just important to me in general'

View gallery

She hit back saying: ‘I’ve had relationships since then that I pull inspo (inspiration) from & even story lines that are just important to me in general’

Carly and boyfriend Riley King split after dating for two years in 2023

View gallery

 Carly and boyfriend Riley King split after dating for two years in 2023

At the time, her reps told People magazine: ‘This was a hard decision. It wasn’t something she wanted to have to do. This hasn’t been a quarantine realization – it was a last resort.’

In November 2020, Carly opened up to People about why she thought her marriage failed.

The artist implied there was a trust issue and that Michael did not match her effort: ‘I did everything that I knew how to do. It takes two people to work on something. When you love somebody, you trust them.’

She said she ‘very quickly realized we were not meant to be,’ but did not call it a mistake.

Despite her heartbreak, Carly said she still believed in love and hoped to get married again one day to her person.

‘I am hopeful. I want somebody. I desire marriage. I desire companionship. I desire a family. I desire all of those things. I think that having divorce as part of your story is hard. It’s a hard reality,’ she said to People.

‘It’s been hard for me to accept that and not be embarrassed or feel like I’m defined by that. But in reality, I know that I’m not. I’ve come to a place of just accepting that everybody has a journey, and this is mine – and the right person will be able to love me through that.’

In June 2023, Carly and boyfriend Riley King split after dating for two years.

The pair met through mutual friends, going public with their romance one year into their relationship.