Zac Brown Still Has Plenty Of Praise For Ex-Wife Shelly After Their Divorce

Celebrity divorces tend to be accompanied by plenty of drama, piping hot tea, and huge settlements. This was not the case with Zac Brown and Shelly Brown, despite theirs being one of those celebrity divorces we totally didn't see coming. While both parties have since moved on, fans can't help but reminisce about the good old days, especially when Zac came right out and detailed the kind of things he did during a 2019 appearance on "CBS Mornings." The country singer was impressively candid about how painful the breakdown of his 12-year marriage was, but despite having weathered all that, Zac acknowledged, "She absolutely was the one." We're absolutely not crying. 

It doesn't help that the former couple's relationship started with the perfect meet-cute. The "Chicken Fried" hitmaker kissed Shelly one fateful New Year's Eve after his original date didn't show up, telling Big Machine Label Group in a 2015 interview that it was a defining moment. "I remember kissin' her and then that was game over," Zac confessed simply. Elaborating on how he and Shelly finally realized they had to end things, the country star admitted that it took some time. They weathered a period where they ultimately realized their differences were too big and too many to overcome. 

The couple eventually came to the realization that, "It's healthier to not live in conflict than it is to try and stay," as Zac put it. The singer-songwriter added that their five kids are his pride and joy, confirming his marriage "gave me more than I could have ever dreamed of." Zac and Shelly announced their split in August 2018 via a statement to People. "It is with deep love and respect that we announce we are separating as a couple," it read in part.

Zac Brown is a model citizen when it comes to handling a very public divorce with grace, not to mention that the praise he offered for his ex-wife, Shelly Brown, suggests that you can be separated and stay on good terms. Zac was one of those celebs whose post-divorce transformation had heads turning, however, and he did manage to find love again after the heartbreak. In 2022, all eyes were on Zac Brown's's new fiancé, Kelly Yazdi, and the two tied the knot the following year. Sadly, their union only lasted four months before the couple went their separate ways. By 2025, the "Whatever It Is" hitmaker had found love again. In December of that year, Zac gushed to Fox News about his fiancé, Kendra Scott, "It's been incredible. My kids adore her." 

The country star added, "It's not our first go around, but it's definitely so much different than anything I've experienced before. And I'm so grateful that we found each other and that we can relate to being leaders." The happy couple got married in Santorini, Greece, in May 2026. It was reportedly a small ceremony, with all five of his kids (and her three sons) in attendance. Here's hoping this is it for them.