Carly Pearce Knew on Wedding Night Marriage Was a Mistake

Carly Pearce said she knew on her wedding night that marrying Michael Ray was a mistake.

In a new interview on the podcast "The Person Who Believed In Me," the 36-year-old country singer said Ray made it clear she had made a big error. She described a "bit of Jackal and Hyde" that she did not see until it was too late.

Pearce said the short marriage taught her a lot about herself and gave her the album "29." She added that it showed her how strong she is because she quickly decided the situation was not what she deserved.

"I blew up my life to get out of it," she said. "I didn't stay because society tells you 'you should.' I didn't stay because my faith says divorce is bad. I didn't stay because 'oh, it's public. I need to do that.' I was done."

Pearce and Ray were married from October 2019 until June 2020. The relationship became the basis for her third album, "29," which includes songs such as "What He Didn't Do" and "Next Girl." Pearce said she is not a strong communicator in conversation but processes her life by writing songs. She wrote six intense tracks about the divorce and later won a Grammy for best country duo or group performance for "Never Wanted to Be That Girl," recorded with Ashley McBryde.

In 2025, Pearce confirmed she is dating entrepreneur Jordan Karcher. She said she met him on the dating app Raya and described herself as happier than ever because he is not in entertainment.

Pearce also urged fans to seek medical care when health problems appear. She said doctors initially dismissed her symptoms of pericarditis as anxiety or a busy schedule. She went public with the condition in 2024 and said she is now doing well with no major flare-ups.