After six months of silence, Kellie Pickler has officially spoken out on her husband Kyle Jacobs’ death.
The American Idol alum and former host on SiriusXM’s The Highway shared an exclusive statement with PEOPLE on Thursday (Aug. 17), where she graciously thanked fans for their support during what she called “the darkest time in my life.”
Read Kellie Pickler’s Statement Below
“One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don’t know what to do, ‘do nothing, just be still,’” Pickler said in the statement. “I have chosen to heed his advice.”
“Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way,” she continued. “It has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers.”
Planned Memorial Service
In the exclusive piece with PEOPLE, she also revealed plans for an upcoming memorial service for her husband, Kyle Jacobs. “I am planning an intimate memorial for my husband, which will happen later this fall, that is what Kyle would have wanted,” Kellie Pickler added.
She concluded the statement, “Love & Blessings, Kellie.”
Pickler’s statement comes nearly six months after her husband passed away by suicide on February 17. Kyle Jacobs was 49 years old at the time of his death.
What Happened To Kyle Jacobs?
According to an analysis performed by The Davidson County Medical Examiner and obtained by Taste Of Country, Jacobs died in his home on February 17 due to an “intraoral shotgun wound.”
At the time, the Nashville Police Department shared that it received a 911 call to Pickler’s home, located on Sneed Road in the police department’s West Precinct, on Friday afternoon around 1:21 PM.
The Police also reported that Kellie Pickler woke up a short time before the cops arrived at the scene. Upon waking, Pickler noticed that her husband was nowhere to be found and began searching the home for him.
Pickler’s assistant called 911 after she and the “Red High Heels” singer were unable “to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant telephoned 911.”
Police officers, as well as officials from the Nashville Fire Department, arrived at the scene and found Jacobs dead from an “apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
In a toxicology report released in May, it was indicated that the 49-year-old songwriter had no drugs in his system at the time of his death.
Additionally, the autopsy report, which was performed on February 18, noted, “Adult white male with a history of pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use suffered a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.”
Kellie Pickler Exits Role As On-Air SiriusXM Host
Prior to his passing, Kellie Pickler exited her role as an on-air host on SiriusXM’s The Highway. According to several SiriusXM listeners, Buzz Brainard confirmed that Pickler would be taking some time away from her midday show in mid-February.
SiriusXM later confirmed that Pickler had fulfilled her current contract.
Kyle Jacobs Was A Songwriter And Producer
Kyle Jacobs was a producer and a songwriter that has written songs for dozens of country superstars, including Trace Adkins, Jo Dee Messina, Craig Morgan, Tim McGraw, Kellie Pickler (his wife), Clay Walker, Kelly Clarkson, Scotty McCreery, and many others.
He was also a co-writer on Garth Brooks’ single “More Than A Memory,” which became the first song to debut at Number One on Billboard’s Country Singles chart in its entire history.
Pickler has remained silent and has yet to release any statements following Jacobs’ death.
Kellie Picker And Kyle Jacobs Got Married In 2011
The pair were introduced through mutual friends. After two and a half years of dating, Jacobs proposed to Pickler on June 15, 2010. The date was a meaningful one to Pickler as it was her late grandmother’s birthday.
“It turned out to be the most amazing day of my life,” Pickler previously told PEOPLE. “My whole world changed. We both feel like we got my grandmother’s blessing.”
A few months later, they wed on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1, 2011, on the beach in Antigua.
“He makes me feel so, so great about myself. I feel so beautiful when I’m with him,” Picker previously The Boot. “He always tells me he likes me better with no makeup on and sweatpants. He makes me feel the most beautiful when I’m with him. As long as I’m healthy, then he is fine with whatever I wear.”
Pickler and Jacobs brought their love to the small screen with I Love Kellie Pickler, a reality show on CMT. The show took fans inside their personal lives and debuted on November 5, 2015. The final episode aired October 5, 2017.
The couple collaborated together on several tracks included on Pickler’s latest albums, 100 Proof (2012) and The Woman I Am (2013). They co-wrote tracks such as “Mother’s Day,” “The Woman I Am,” and “Bonnie and Clyde.”
Following the release of The Woman I Am in 2013, Pickler stepped away from making music. She later appeared on the daytime talk show Pickler & Ben, and she is currently a host on SiriusXM’s The Highway.
If you or anyone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
