Kellie Pickler Breaks Silence, Thanks Fans After Husband Kyle Jacobs’ Death: ‘Darkest Time in My Life’ (Exclusive)
"It has truly touched my soul and it's helping me," the country singer said in a statement. "As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers"
Kellie Pickler has broken her silence on her husband’s death.
Kyle Jacobs, a songwriter, vocalist, and musician died by suicide on Feb. 17. He was 49.
Pickler, 37, shared a statement with PEOPLE on Thursday in which she thanked fans for their continued support throughout this time.
“One of the most beautiful lessons my husband taught me was in a moment of a crisis, if you don’t know what to do, ‘do nothing, just be still,'” she said. “I have chosen to heed his advice.”
“Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way,” the country star and radio host continued. “It has truly touched my soul and it’s helping me get through the darkest time in my life. As many of you have told me, you are all in my prayers.”
Pickler also announced her plans for Jacobs’ memorial service. She added, “I am planning an intimate memorial for my husband, which will happen later this fall, that is what Kyle would have wanted.”
Pickler signed the statement, “Love & Blessings, Kellie.”
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An autopsy report, which was obtained by PEOPLE in May, confirmed Jacobs’ cause of death.
The toxicology results revealed that Jacobs had no drugs in his system at the time of death. He did, however, have a history of “pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use.”
Pseudoseizures or psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), according to epilepsy.com, “are attacks that may look like epileptic seizures but are not epileptic and instead are caused by psychological factors.”
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The Nashville Police Department previously confirmed in a statement to PEOPLE that the Department of Emergency Communications was alerted to a home on Feb. 17, but arrived at the location to find Jacobs deceased.
The country singer and SiriusXM’s The Highway host told authorities that she woke up shortly before but couldn’t find Jacobs. Pickler and her personal assistant called the police after they couldn’t open the door to a room in the house, according to the statement.
Pickler and Jacobs wed in a surprise ceremony on Jan. 1, 2011. They did not share any children.
The couple, who had been dating since 2008, got engaged on June 15, 2010, when Jacobs popped the question on a Florida beach.
“It was the most spiritual moment.” Pickler, who got her start on American Idol, said of the proposal. “We would’ve gotten married that night had there been a preacher walking by!”
Days after getting married, Pickler tweeted, “Private Island. Caribbean. Cigar in one hand, Rum in the other. Someone just called me “Mrs. Jacobs.”….sounds nice :)”
In 2015, Pickler opened up to PEOPLE about working with Jacobs.
Though she and Jacobs started writing songs together the day after they met, her then-new single, “Feeling Tonight,” marked the first time the couple worked in the studio as a team.
“Yes, it’s true, I’m sleeping with my producer!” Pickler joked before she saluted Jacobs’ talent.
“He is so good at what he does,” she said. “The music he’s produced for Lee Brice is all over the radio! I’m so excited to be in the studio again recording a new album, and working with Kyle has been amazing. He has watched me perform for years, so it was great to have a front row seat as an artist and see him in his element.”
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“Feeling Tonight” was co-written by Sarah Buxton, Josh Osborne and Jimmy Robbins, and co-produced by Jacobs and Matt McClure.
“This is such a fun song. I hope it’s this year’s summer anthem. It captures that summer love, that first love, that first kiss, that first spark of romance when you know there’s something special happening. I think of Kyle when I sing this song and the love we share. We’ve been married four years and together more than seven, but we’re still like newlyweds.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
