Carly Pearce revealed why her and her boyfriend Riley King have broken up after two years of dating.
Carly Pearce Admitted “We Just Simply Were Not Right For Each Other”
On Wednesday afternoon (June 7) following an appearance on the Women In Country panel at the Billboard Country Live, Pearce confirmed to PEOPLE that her and King have officially called it quits.
“For the most part, it was great. People date to see if they’re gonna go the distance, and we weren’t,” Pearce told the outlet. “We just simply were not right for each other, and that’s the bottom line. I am on such a beautiful journey, and I am really excited about the next chapter of my life.”
Riley King Also Confirmed Their Breakup
Page Six reported the news first about Pearce’s split from King as the Nashville real estate agent gave the outlet a statement on Wednesday (June 7).
“Carly and I have parted ways and I wish her nothing but the best in both her career and personal life,” King told The New York Post’s Page Six. The outlet also reported that the couple’s relationship ended from “trust issues,” however, Pearce set the record straight while chatting with PEOPLE. “That is absolutely not why we broke up,” Pearce confirmed.
The “What He Didn’t Do” singer and former MLB player have both removed all of their photos together from social media.
How Did Carly Pearce And Riley King Meet?
The couple dated for two years. Pearce first confirmed their relationship in May of 2021 when rumors regarding her love life began swirling around the internet after Pearce shared a photo of herself cosied up on the arm of the Nashville Realtor in her Instagram stories. At the time she addressed those rumors in an interview with PEOPLE and while she didn’t reveal much, she did admit, “all I will say is I’m happy. I’ll tell you, I’m very happy about that.”
Several months later in November of 2021, Pearce chatted about King during an interview with Audacy’s Gunner & Cheyenne, saying that he is one part of her life that she wants to “keep private right now.” Then, in June of 2022, Pearce told Audacy’s Rob Stone and Holly Hutton that she met Riley King through mutual friends and that they have been dating for a year.
Carly Pearce admittedly wanted to keep her relationship with King private during the earlier stages, as she knew it was “a big commitment to go public with somebody.” She later added that she has already “learned the hard way that [going public too fast] can sometimes kick you in the butt.”
“He’s not new, I’m just not putting him out into the world like I have in the past,” Pearce told the Audacy hosts in June of 2021. “He’s hot [and] he’s so hot… And I’m certainly not trying to hide him, but certainly don’t want to exploit my whole thing.”
While Pearce said she initially kept her relationship with King a bit private during the interview, the chart-topping hitmaker went on to be more open about it with fans, often sharing photos with King at different events, including a variety of award shows such as the 2022 ACM Awards and some of their vacations.
Most recently, the pair were seen enjoying a “dreamy” trip to Napa Valley in May.
Carly Pearce, 33, was previously married to “Get Her Back” singer Michael Ray, who she filed for divorce from in June of 2020 after eight months of marriage.
Additionally, Carly Pearce is not only embarking on a new chapter of her life, but also her next musical chapter as she is gearing up to release of her brand-new single, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” featuring fellow Kentucky native, Chris Stapleton. Out everywhere on June 16 and officially impacting Country radio on June 20, “We Don’t Fight Anymore” was co-written by Pearce alongside Shane McAnally and Pete Good. The track was produced by McAnally, Josh Osborne, and Pearce.
“I’ve always wanted to write music that makes people feel something – whether that is feeling seen, less alone, happy or even uncomfortable. ‘We Don’t Fight Anymore’ felt like I was writing one of those stories that, whether or not we want to include it in our social media highlight reel, we’ve either been there or are living there right now,” Pearce shared in a statement. “Having Chris Stapleton join me on this song was a dream come true and he unlocked an element to the story that I didn’t even know it needed.”
She further elaborated on the song in a social media post.
“This song embodies a place that I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all felt at some point in a relationship,” she wrote. “The distance that feels heartbreaking, yet you’re also indifferent. I’ve always been a writer who never wanted to shy away from the ‘uncomfortable’ moments in all of our lives, and this song feels too important not to share.”
“We Don’t Fight Anymore” will mark the beginning of Pearce’s new musical era as she recently wrapped up her wildly successful 29: Written In Stone chapter after earning her fourth career No. 1 with “What He Didn’t Do.”
The GRAMMY, CMA and ACM Award winner recently opened up about her new music in an interview with Everything Nash.
“I just don’t think I can be 29 and divorced forever,” she said, adding, “I’m really excited about it. I write from where I am in my life. So I think that you’re gonna see this new season of life for me, and more confidence in the kind of country music that I make, and really just waving my flag in that.”
Pearce also described the forthcoming project as “100 percent vulnerable” in an interview with Taste of Country.
“Yes, it’s an exciting time for me with my career. My love life is flourishing and it’s wonderful. But also, life is a push and pull,” Pearce told the publication. “Trying to love again? That’s kind of hard. Trying to navigate your life? That’s kind of hard, but also beautiful and crazy.”
Ahead of the release of “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” Carly Pearce is gearing up for a week full of shows in Nashville during the 50th anniversary of CMA Fest, where she will perform on the main stage at Nissan Stadium on June 8 at 9:55pm.
