Kellie Pickler, Husband Kyle Jacobs’ Relationship Timeline

Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs bonded over their musical backgrounds — but they chose to take their time before getting hitched.

The American Idol alum met her future husband in the mid-2000s through a mutual friend. While playing Us Weekly’s “Newlywed Game” in December 2015, the couple both recalled Jacobs’ pickup line as, “Hi, I’m Kyle. I’m a songwriter.”

Pickler joked about her reaction, telling Us, “I was like, ‘Great,’” with an eye roll. “No, we started writing the next day,” she added.

Us confirmed in June 2010 that Jacobs got down on one knee after dating for more than two years. Nearly four years later, the couple were hit by tragedy when Jacobs died by apparent suicide in February 2023.

“Officers and Nashville Fire Department personnel responded and located resident Kyle Jacobs, 49, deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in an upstairs bedroom/office,” the Metropolitan Nashville Police said in a statement to Variety at the time. Pickler was reportedly home when the incident took place.

Scroll down to see Pickler and Jacob’s love story from the beginning: