Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs’ Relationship in Their Own Words

A perfect love. Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs were together for over a decade before his tragic death — and shared a life full of laughter and music.

While Pickler has been a blonde bombshell of country music since her time on American Idol, Jacobs made his own mark in the entertainment industry behind the scenes. As an award-winning songwriter, he and the North Carolina native often worked together on bringing her songs to life.

“[Our relationship] is really special in the fact that we get to write together and Kyle produces me and whatnot,” Pickler said during a 2017 episode of BUILD while discussing her song “My Angel,” which was created to honor her late grandmother. “It was beautiful to see the song come to life.”

Jacobs, for his part, said the track “turned out to be really special” thanks to the pair getting to collaborate with their respective mutual talents.

The couple first met in the early 2000s through a mutual friend — and the Minnesota native didn’t hesitate to boast about his talents when trying to win the Mistletoe Secret star over.

During an interview with Us Weekly in December 2015, the duo recalled Jacobs’ first pickup line:  “Hi, I’m Kyle. I’m a songwriter.”

[jwplayer jCt5Ugve-zhNYySv2]

At the time, Pickler joked about her reaction, telling Us, “I was like, ‘Great,’” with an eyeroll. “No, we started writing the next day,” she added.

The lovebirds got engaged in July 2010. After initially planning a large Nashville wedding, however, they decided last minute to jet off to Antigua for a low-key ceremony on New Year’s Day in 2011.

“It was perfect, because we didn’t plan anything,” Pickler told Us the following month. “I packed the wedding dress and he packed an outfit. We flew there and we didn’t know what kind of cake we were going to get. We didn’t know what food we were going to have … it was the most incredible day of my life.”

In November 2015, they starred together in a self-described I Love Lucy reality series on CMT aptly titled I Love Kelly Pickler. Jacobs told Us at the time that the show highlighted the best aspects of their happy union.

“We love our marriage is number one, it always will be No. 1. But one of our favorite things that we can do is laugh. And we want to show that to people,” he gushed.

I Love Kellie Pickler ran for three seasons before ending in October 2017, but the couple continued to document their love for one another until Jacobs’ tragic death in February 2023.

Keep scrolling to see everything Pickler and Jacobs have said about each other:

Picker gushed to Us about the couple’s last-minute decision to elope.

“It was perfect, because we didn’t plan anything,” she explained. “I packed the wedding dress and he packed an outfit. We flew there and we didn’t know what kind of cake we were going to get. We didn’t know what food we were going to have…it was the most incredible day of my life.”

Pickler celebrated her hubby’s success. 

 “Time to celebrate!! My husband produced Lee Brice’s song ‘I Drive Your Truck’ — It won ‘Song of the Year’ at the ACM Awards! #Yay #ProudWife :),” Pickler wrote via Instagram. 

Jacobs described his zany dynamic with Pickler and how it was portrayed in their CMT reality series. 

 “It’s kind of the crazy things that Kellie gets herself into, and I kind of have to get her out of it,” Jacobs joked to Us at the time. “It honestly is nothing but love and laughter . . . we love our marriage, and our marriage is always No. 1. But one of our favorite things that we can do is laugh.” 

The “Red High Heels” singer explained why Jacobs’ proposal was one of “the most special days of my life.” 

“It is my grandmother’s birthday and it’s also the day my husband Kyle proposed. On that date in 2010, Kyle and I were in Rosemary Beach, FL on what he told me was just a ‘vacation’ … That evening, after a romantic dinner, we took a sunset stroll on the beach … Little did I know, he had secretly planted a small wooden box in the sand … It looked like it had washed up from sea, but upon opening it, I found a true treasue,” she shared via Instagram. “Inside contained a journal that Kyle had written for me, a seashell with my Grandmother’s name ‘Faye’ written on it, and a beautiful engagement ring.”

She continued, “After Kyle got down on one knee and me screaming ‘YES!!!’ we watched the sunset slowly paint a colorful end to a beautiful day … What was so incredible is that Kyle didn’t realize that THAT day, was also my grandmother’s birthday. It was like my beautiful angel, the one I call mom, was giving us her blessing … So, Kyle and I like to celebrate June 15th as a couple … Still and forever crazy in love…It’s #OurDay.” 

The musician couldn’t get enough of his wife’s beauty. 

“I’m pretty sure I married the prettiest girl on the planet,” he captioned an Instagram post. 

Jacobs documented the pair’s vacation and gushed over his adventurous partner. 

“I love that my wife @kelliepickler loves living life on the edge” he wrote via Instagram. In a second post, he added, “Me and my beautiful adventure buddy @kelliepickler in Alaska climbing mountains and wrestling bears…Don’t worry, the bears took it easy on us.” 

The “Memory of You” songwriter paid special tribute to his wife on their 11th anniversary. 

“Happy 11th wedding Anniversary to my Patriotic Princess… @kelliepickler … Her mind, heart, and soul is not only comitted [sic] to our military and first responders, it is convicted to let them know that they are appreciated and loved…And the good news for me is…She loves me too…:) #lovewins,” he penned via Instagram. 

Pickler revealed what she loves most about her beau. 

“He makes me feel so, so great about myself. I feel so beautiful when I’m with him,” the country crooner told The Boot. “He always tells me he likes me better with no makeup on and sweatpants. He makes me feel the most beautiful when I’m with him. As long as I’m healthy, then he is fine with whatever I wear.”