Inside Kacey Musgraves’ Dating and Marriage History Amid Breakup Album Believed to Be About Ex Cole
Love is a wild thing! Kacey Musgraves hasn’t shared many of her relationships with the public. However, her fans were clued in on her marriage to Ruston Kelly, as well as her lengthy romance with Cole Schafer, thanks to her music. The country singer’s dating history also includes Misa Arriaga and Gerald Onuoha, but what happened to these relationships? Her March 2024 album, Deeper Well, is believed to be inspired by a breakup.
Kacey Musgraves Dated Misa Arriaga
One of Kacey’s first public romances was with her former guitarist, Misa. She revealed that they were “best friends” for a few years before they started dating. “It was cool that we had a chance to really get to know each other before everything kind of got crazy,” the Grammy Award winner told The Fader in May 2015, a year after she and Misa went public at the Academy of Country Music Awards.
Kacey and Misa walked the red carpet together at the CMA Awards in November 2015, but they split a few months later.
Kacey Musgraves Was Married to Ruston Kelly
Kacey met fellow country singer Ruston in March 2016 and began dating him soon after. The couple moved quickly, getting engaged on Christmas Eve that year. They later tied the knot in Tennessee in October 2017.
Kacey and Ruston announced in July 2020 that they were getting divorced, revealing in a joint statement that they “made this painful decision together.”
“With heavy but hopeful hearts we wanted to put our own thoughts into the air about what’s happening. These kinds of announcements are always met with scrutiny and speculation and we want to stop that before it even starts,” the statement read. “We believe that we were put into each other’s lives for a divine reason and have both changed each other infinitely for the better. The love we have for each other goes far beyond the relationship we’ve shared as husband and wife. It’s a soul connection that can never be erased.”
The former couple called their divorce “a healthy decision that comes after a very long period of trying the best we can.”
They continued, “It simply just didn’t work. Though we are parting ways in marriage, we will remain true friends for the rest of our lives. We hold no blame, anger, or contempt for each other and we ask for privacy and positive wishes for us both as we learn how to navigate through this.”
Kacey and Ruston’s divorce was finalized in September 2020.
Kacey Was Briefly Linked to Dr. Gerald Onuoha
After her split from Ruston, Kacey moved on with Nashville-based doctor Gerald. They sparked dating rumors in April 2021 when they were seen hugging in Los Angeles. Kacey posted a selfie with Gerald on her Instagram Story not long after that, but the romance then seemed to fizzle out.
Why Did Kacey Musgraves Split From Cole Schafer?
Kacey’s latest public relationship was with Cole, a writer. They were first linked in June 2021 when they were spotted holding hands in New York City. The singer later revealed that they met when they locked eyes in a restaurant.
Kacey and Cole made their red carpet debut at the Met Gala in May 2022. While public appearances were rare for the couple, they weren’t shy about posting each other on social media. Unfortunately, Kacey and Cole broke up after two years together. She was writing Deeper Well at the time of their split, so many of the songs are believed to be about Cole.
“No one knows exactly what went wrong,” an insider exclusively told Life & Style of their breakup in December 2023. “Some say they drifted apart while others say Kacey realized it was best to part ways as friends.”
The source continued, “The breakup opened her eyes. This time, Kacey wants to stay single for a while. She’s looking at it as a new chapter, one to learn from and grow. She doesn’t want to jump into another romance — she wants to find herself.”
Is Kacey Musgraves Dating Anyone Now?
Kacey does not appear to be dating anyone since her split from Cole. However, she said that her new album, Deeper Well, reflects on love in her 30s.
"Ultimately, [Deeper Well] sums up where I'm at in my mid-30s and really evaluating what love means to me, what friendships mean to me, what are the things that I need, what is really serving me and not serving me," the “Rainbow” singer told People. "It's [about] taking stock and making room for the things that actually do really matter."
