The long and winding road. Sam Hunt and Hannah Lee Fowler had many ups and downs before filing for divorce earlier this month.
The duo dated on and off for nearly a decade before news broke of their engagement in January 2017. Three months later, the pair tied the knot, but after nearly five years of marriage, Us Weekly confirmed on Monday, February 21, that they had separated.
The split made headlines three days after Fowler accused the “Body Like a Back Road” crooner, 37, of “inappropriate marital conduct” and “adultery” in court documents. Hunt’s estranged wife, who is pregnant with their first child, filed for divorce in Tennessee on Friday, February 18, just a few months shy of their five-year wedding anniversary.
Though the twosome had not publicly announced Fowler’s pregnancy ahead of their split, court documents obtained by Us note that her due date is in May.
While Fowler has stayed out of the limelight as much as possible, Hunt gushed over his longtime love before and after they got married in April 2017. The musician even sang Fowler’s praises during a break in their relationship in 2015.
“Respect for women was a very important part of my upbringing. The women in my life demanded that from me,” the Georgia native told Billboard in August of that year. “I spent a lot of time talking to [Hannah] about the songs [on my debut album, Montevallo] and asking, ‘What do you think about this?’ Her perspective was a powerful part of me being able to connect with a female audience, not just a male audience.”
After the pair reconnected the following year, Hunt released his 2017 hit song, “Drinkin’ Too Much,” in which he apologized for bringing attention to Fowler on his first album — especially since her hometown was the record’s title.
“I’m sorry I named the album Montevallo / I’m sorry people know your name now / A strangers hit you up on social media,” he sings on the track. “I know you want your privacy / And you got nothing to say to me / but I wish you’d let me pay off your student loans / With these songs you gave me.”
In a rare public act, Fowler seemingly showed the country crooner support in March 2020 by attending one of his shows. The outing came months after Hunt was arrested in November 2019 for a DUI.
The “House Party” singer was ordered to pay a fine, complete an alcohol safety course and had his license suspended for one year. He was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail, but the Tennessean reported in August 2021 that all but 48 hours of his jail sentence were deferred. He was set to serve the remaining time in the DUI Education Centers.
Scroll down to learn more about the musician’s estranged wife: