On Friday (June 19), Carly Pearce filed for divorce from fellow country artist Michael Ray, her husband of just eight months. People confirmed the news, though not a specific reason for the couple's split; however, it was reportedly a long time coming, with an unnamed source close to Pearce calling the decision "a last resort" rather than "a quarantine realization."

Just days before her divorce filing, Pearce praised the new music her husband has been creating.

"I'm really proud of him for the music that he's working on right now," she told media members during a virtual event celebrating her No. 1 single "I Hope You're Happy Now" on June 15. "I think it's a big evolution for him, and it's — I think people are really going to get to know him, and I'm happy for him in that."

Pearce was asked about Ray's whereabouts, as the couple of about two years had become less effusive about their relationship on social media. Whereas throughout their relationship Pearce and Ray consistently shared photos with and of each other (and left sweet comments on each other's posts), the two hadn't appeared together in a photo since late March. Both Pearce and Ray posted birthday messages for the other on their respective birthdays in late April, but fans began to notice the lack of comments on each other's postings in recent weeks.

"You know, I feel like Michael and I have just — you know, Michael's busy working on new music and is really focused on that, and I'm just focused on my stuff, and we obviously are super supportive of each other," Pearce said. "Really, I know that everybody keeps asking me where Michael is, but he's just really focused on music, and I think he's not posting a lot and doing a lot of things is just for a reason ..."

Questions about Pearce and Ray's status began in earnest when he wasn't present for any of her No. 1 celebrations for "I Hope You're Happy Now," especially in response to a series of photos that Pearce shared on Saturday (June 20). In the photos, Pearce is not wearing her wedding ring:

Pearce and Ray first confirmed their relationship in June of 2018. They got engaged that December, and they married on Oct. 6, 2019.

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