The Truth About Garth Brooks' Divorce From His First Wife Sandy Mahl
Lifestyle - News
By AZURE HALL AND HEATHER BAVER
Before finding love with fellow country singer Trisha Yearwood, Garth Brooks was married for 15 years to Sandy Mahl, who he met when they were students at Oklahoma State University. They married in 1986, and moved to Nashville a year later as Brooks was starting his music career, which took off quickly.
Along with Brooks’ career, his family was also growing; during the 1990s, he and Mahl had three daughters together – Taylor, August, and Allie. Speaking in the documentary "Garth Brooks: The Road I'm On," Mahl shared that the time she and Brooks spent apart is what harmed their marriage.
Another difficulty in the ex-spouses' marriage was the connection Brooks had with Trisha Yearwood. In an interview on "The Ellen Show," Brooks recounted his first meeting with Yearwood and said he knew they had a connection, but he felt that he needed to stay committed to his union with Mahl.
By 2000, Brooks and Mahl sought a divorce, which was finalized on December 17, 2001. Mahl received a $125 million settlement, making it one of the most expensive divorces of all time, and afterward, Brooks shifted his focus to his family and announced his retirement, keeping a promise he made to his daughters.