Country star Maren Morris is speaking honestly about the ups and downs of life after divorce. On a recent episode of Therapuss with Jake Shane, Morris, 35, opened up about what it’s been like to navigate a split from her ex-husband Ryan Hurd, 38—especially in a small and close-knit town like Nashville.
Even though they remain friendly, Morris says some of the hardest parts of divorce aren’t about the relationship itself—but about the people around it.
Divorce in a “Small Town” Industry
Morris explained that living and working in Nashville, where both she and Hurd are part of the country music world, makes separation more complicated. “It’s a small town, and we’re all friends, and we all work together,” she said.
Although she and Hurd are on good terms, she admitted that things get awkward when mutual friends have to decide who to stick with. “Just in terms of respect for each other,” she said, describing a recent bar encounter with one of Hurd’s longtime friends. “It’s just going to be kind of weird. Maybe it’s just going to be weird for the first few years.”
Their Story and the Split
Morris and Hurd met back in 2013 when they co-wrote a song for Tim McGraw. Their romantic relationship started later, and they got married in March 2018. They have a 5-year-old son named Hayes. Morris filed for divorce in October 2023, and the process was finalized by January 2024.
Despite the split, Morris says co-parenting has been a priority. Speaking previously on the Dear Chelsea podcast, she said, “We’re over a year out now … we get along now and have moved past a lot of it.” The two now live as neighbors and focus on raising Hayes together.
Losing and Finding Friends After Big Life Changes
On Therapuss, Morris also reflected on how major life events—like becoming a mother and living through the pandemic—affected her friendships. “I have these people who have been my ride or dies,” she said, but added that over time, she noticed others “fade away.”
Having her son during the COVID lockdowns was particularly isolating. “As a new mother, it’s already such a lonely time,” she explained. But she also shared that motherhood helped her form new friendships with other moms going through similar experiences.
Love, Respect, and Real Life
Though their marriage didn’t work out, Morris says there’s still love and mutual respect between her and Hurd. “It’s always going to be multifaceted,” she said. “We have the highest respect, but also there is that devastation that two people [who] love each other that much can’t make it work in the real world.”
