Carly Pearce and Riley King have called it quits after two years together. King, a former MLB player, confirmed the news in a statement to Page Six Wednesday, telling the outlet, “things didn’t work out” and confirming that he and the country music singer “have parted ways.” King added that he wishes Pearce “nothing but the best in both her career and personal life.”
Pearce later confirmed the split herself when speaking to PEOPLE following her appearance on Wednesday’s Women in Country panel at Billboard Country Live. Reflecting on their romance, the singer shared, “For the most part, it was great. People date to see if they’re gonna go the distance, and we weren’t.” Pearce explained that she and King “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.”
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At this time, neither Pearce nor King have divulged further details about their split, but a source told Page Six that the former couple, who were first romantically linked in early 2021 and went public with their relationship while attending the 2021 CMA Awards together in November 2021, split over her “trust issues” following Pearce’s divorce from fellow country singer Michael Ray. Pearce and Ray divorced in 2020 after less than a year of marriage. The source claimed that Pearce “has a lot of trust issues,” adding that she “went through that divorce with Michael Ray, and parts of that she’s still coping with and struggling with.” The source claimed that the divorce was “really hard for her,” also alleging that the singer’s country music being about her divorce “took a toll” on King.
In fact, Pearce dished about rocky relationships earlier this month after the Grammy winner hinted at a rough spot in her relationship while promoting her latest collaboration track, “We Don’t Fight Anymore,” which features Chris Stapleton, back on June 5. Opening up about the song on Instagram, Pearce said it “embodies a place that I think, if we are honest with ourselves, we’ve all felt at some point in a relationship. The distance that feels heartbreaking, yet you’re also indifferent.”
While some fans speculated the song may be about her relationship with King, Pearce clarified to PEOPLE amid their split, “There is absolutely not a correlation to what is going on in my life in the moment at all,” adding, “I want to clarify that I wrote ‘We Don’t Fight Anymore’ a year ago, when I was ridiculously in love.”
