Ex-‘American Idol’ Star Kellie Pickler Calls Off Planned Tour In Wake Of Husband’s Death: 'Her Heart Is Still In Tatters'
April 25 2023, Published 5:00 a.m. ET
Heartbroken singer Kellie Pickler has been in a tragic tailspin trying to cope with the February gunshot suicide of her husband Kyle Jacobs — and was forced to quit her national radio show, RadarOnline.com has learned.
According to a source close to Pickler, “It’s just impossible for Kellie to be sunny and upbeat when her heart is still in tatters.”
The insider said hosting the Sirius XM show The Highway became an impossible chore. Sources said the overwhelmed widow, 36, is in seclusion as she tries to process her tragic loss and come to terms with her husband’s hidden depression during his last days.
“Kellie had big plans for 2023 — not only continuing her radio job but going out on tour,” the friend shared. But all that derailed when the onetime American Idol finalist’s 49-year-old songwriter husband was found dead in an upstairs bedroom of the couple’s Nashville home.
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Jacobs co-wrote Garth Brooks’ No. 1 tune More Than a Memory and penned hits for George Strait, Tim McGraw and Wynonna Judd.
“Now Kellie’s cleared her schedule,” the friend said. “Kellie wants time to heal and be alone with her thoughts. Her loved ones tell her she’s doing the right thing. She needs to concentrate on herself — not her career.”
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, at the time of his death, Nashville PD told RadarOnline.com, "Nashville’s Department of Emergency Communications received a 911 call at 1:21 p.m. Friday from a home on Sneed Road in the police department’s West Precinct. 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. His death is being investigated as an apparent suicide."
A police rep told us Kellie "awoke a short time earlier, did not see her husband, and began looking for him. After she and her personal assistant were unable to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant telephoned 911."
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Kellie has not spoken publicly since her husband's death.
As we first reported, Jacob's autopsy report noted, “Adult white male with a history of pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use suffered a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head.”
The cause of death was listed as an intraoral shotgun. The report noted the toxicology results were “unremarkable” and no drugs were found in his system.
