Carly Pearce is opening up on how she met her new boyfriend, Jordan Karcher, sharing that she is “happier than ever” with the dog rescue advocate and founder of Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co.
The 35-year-old country superstar joined Bunnie XO on The Dumb Blonde Podcast to reflect on her journey from “Every Little Thing” to her latest album, hummingbird. She candidly discussed her experiences with OCD, anxiety, and recurrent pericarditis, while also opening up about her divorce from country hitmaker Michael Ray and how she met her new boyfriend, Jordan Karcher.
Pearce revealed that she and Karcher met on Raya, a private, membership-based dating app known for connecting creative professionals, celebrities, and high-profile individuals. The GRAMMY Award-winner shared that their relationship is still “newer,” she and Karcher have been together for about six months, but emphasized that they are “serious” about their love for each other.
“Yeah we’re serious. The stigmas that people put on women, I was like, I’m 35, I’m never going to meet somebody. And it’s like, oh, it’s so funny. I am happier than ever,” Pearce, whose real name is Carly Cristyne Slusser, explained. “And I met him on a dating app, Raya, girl. I just didn’t think you could meet a real person on Raya, I don’t know… I just felt like, how am I going to be able to like meet somebody that’s aligned with me? He’s not in any kind of entertainment, which is the best thing ever. But yeah, I’m just really happy.”
Pearce, who lit up when talking about her boyfriend, told Bunnie XO that he makes her truly happy and always brings a smile to her face. “He’s the best,” Pearce continued.
Carly Pearce was previously married to fellow country artist Michael Ray, with the couple finalizing their divorce in June 2020. Afterward, she was in a two-year relationship with former baseball player Riley King, which ended in June 2023. Later that year, in November, Pearce confirmed she was dating her former drummer, BC Taylor, though the two eventually parted ways amicably.
Pearce also addressed the criticisms she’s received from internet trolls for “dating too many people,” explaining, “I’m in this season of my life where I’m like, I don’t care what you think about me, because for so long it was like, well, everybody thinks I’m dating too many people and there’s something wrong with me because my relationship didn’t work. And it’s like, absolutely not. I hard launched it because I just don’t care anymore.”
“I’m like I’m sorry I’ve had a few relationships since my marriage, isn’t that the point? Like… I didn’t… It’s not like I married six people,” Pearce added. “I’m so happy. There’s no timeline and there’s no right way to do it, and if somebody wants to judge me for it, do it. I don’t care anymore. I’m really happy.”
Carly Pearce and Jordan Karcher hard launched their relationship on Friday (July 25), when the “Truck On Fire” singer shared a photo of her and Karcher smiling side-by-side during what appeared to be a cozy date night at a restaurant.
“I guess this is what the kids call a “hard launch” these days…” Pearce captioned the photo at the time, adding a blushing smile face and heart emoji.
Karcher, whose Instagram account is now private since Pearce went public with their relationship, previously shared a photo on June 14 with the Kentucky native on his Instagram. “Took 38 years, but I finally like country music,” Karcher captioned that snapshot.
According to his Instagram, Jordan Karcher is a dog rescue advocate and the founder of Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co., a company with a mission to support shelter dog rescue, just like his own Dalmatian pup, Molly. He’s also the founder and CEO of Shop With Eileen, a “retail intelligence platform” and app that helps businesses track inventory and scale while maintaining oversight of products in physical stores. With a quick Google search of his name, it also appears that he has an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Carly Pearce is currently working on a brand-new album, which she said is “truly my favorite music I’ve made.”
