Carly Pearce Finally Breaks Her Silence on Divorce from Country Singer Michael Ray

Carly Pearce and Michael Ray split eight months after they married. For the first time since she filed for divorce in July, the 30-year-old singer opened up about the experience.

In the fall of 2019, Carly Pearce and Michael Ray's journey as a married couple began after he proposed with a gorgeous five-carat ring, but eight months later, that journey came to an abrupt end.

Even though she prepared for a lifetime with Ray, who is also a country singer, Pearce is now doing what she can to learn from the experience and move on with her life, even though it's a painful experience.

FINDING SOLACE IN HER CAREER

This year turned into the "hardest" year she ever faced, but Pearce has an outlet that helps her with the process - her career. On Wednesday, the 30-year-old singer walked away with four CMA Awards, and her thriving career offers comfort, as she told PEOPLE:

"I feel like country music keeps hugging me when it knows I need it, and that's what I feel this year. I just feel this huge hug of like, 'We've got you,' and it's awesome."

WHEN THE TROUBLE STARTED

Even though Pearce stands by the "real" love she felt for Ray; it wasn't enough to save their marriage when they realized it wasn't meant to be. While Pearce didn't specify what caused the breakup, she noted having done everything she could to salvage their romance. Elaborating, she said:

"It takes two people to work on something. When you love somebody, you trust them."

Their relationship landed on the rocks before the novel coronavirus turned pandemic and forced everyone into self-isolation, and the time elapsed since then allowed her to "really deal" with the situation. Consequently, Pearce realized that it was not the kind of marriage she wanted and filed for divorce.

HER ROAD TO HEALING

Tending to her broken heart initially took a bit of courage, as she felt embarrassed to reach out to friends and family. But they rushed to offer their support, and Pearce sought out additional help by going for counseling as well.

Cuddles from her Shih-Tzu puppy named June also helps with the heartache, but she also believes that things happen for a reason and that she will come out stronger at the other end - blooming like the wildflowers she recently had tattooed on her arm.

BLOOMING LOVE

Relatedly, Pearce is not the only one to have had a smashing evening at the CMA Awards held at the Music City Center this year. Reba McEntire, who co-hosted the ceremony with Darius Rucker, showed how love recently bloomed in her life.

For the first time since the pair got together last year, McEntire and her actor boyfriend Rex Linn appeared together on the red carpet. While McEntire sparkled, as usual, Linn looked handsome in his blue tux jacket for the occasion.