Ryan Hurd Reportedly ‘Wasn’t Expecting’ Maren Morris to File for Divorce ‘Out of the Blue’

Maren Morris‘ husband, Ryan Hurd, was not prepared for her divorce announcement. Morris’ decision to end the relationship appeared to “come out of the blue,” a source told Us Weekly, adding, “Ryan wasn’t expecting it.” According to the insider, Morris, 33, and Hurd, 36, are “opposites,” which could have made their relationship “difficult.”

Morris and Hurd announced their separation in October after five years of marriage. According to court documents, the duo separated on Oct. 2, the same day Morris filed for divorce from her husband in Nashville. Morris and Hurd share a three-year-old son named Hayes, and the pair have a prenuptial agreement.

Morris and Hurd have not discussed their split extensively, but Morris seems to have alluded to her emotional state in a cryptic statement she made. “It will be fine. It will just be, and when it is, you will face what’s necessary,” she wrote in an Instagram Story on Oct. 20.

Several hours later, Morris posted a carousel of photos to Instagram with the caption, “Welcome to The End, where you can come and lose some friends…” Among the photos was a mirror selfie she took while holding her phone with both hands. There was no sign of her wedding ring.

Morris attended several events without Hurd before news of her divorce broke. On Oct. 11, she wore a black leather mini dress on the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour. Her wedding ring was again missing. She also showed off her bare left hand at a Chicago show on Oct. 5, celebrating her new EP, The Bridge. 

A close friendship developed between the musicians before they began dating in 2015. Hurd proposed in 2017, and they were married in Nashville the following year. Prior to their breakup, Hurd was widely viewed as one of Morris’ fiercest supporters in the media. During the debate about gender confirmation care for transgender youth that sparked her feud with Jason and Brittany Aldean last year, Hurd stood firmly on Morris’ side.

“Scoring quick points by picking on trans kids isn’t something that is brave at all,” he tweeted in August 2022. “And I’m proud of Maren for sticking up for them. … Shut up and sing only applies to those who you disagree with.” A few weeks before Morris filed for divorce, Hurd redoubled his support for her. “She deserves to be celebrated, not just tolerated,” wrote Hurd in an Instagram tribute on Sept. 20 in response to Morris’ announcement that she was leaving country music.