One year after Kellie Pickler’s husband, Kyle Jacobs, died by suicide, the country star is involved in a legal battle with his parents.
“A dispute has arisen amongst the parties regarding certain personal property allegedly [Kyle’s] possession prior to his death,” court documents filed in August 2024 and later obtained by Us Weekly read.
Pickler alleged that Jacobs’ parents, Reed and Sharon, made a “List of Assets” and subsequently subpoenaed the singer to hand over the items. Pickler subsequently claimed that she does not have certain items.
Pickler and Jacobs started dating in 2008, getting married three years later. They were together until his death in 2023.
Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs bonded over their musical backgrounds — but they chose to take their time before getting hitched. The American Idol alum met her future husband in the mid-2000s through a mutual friend. While playing Us Weekly’s “Newlywed Game” in December 2015, the couple both recalled Jacobs’ pickup line as, “Hi, […]
Keep scrolling for a full explanation of the legal dispute:
How Did Kyle Jacobs Die?
News broke in February 2023 that Jacobs died by suicide at the age of 49. He had been found in the couple’s Nashville home by local police officers.
A toxicology report later indicated that there had been no drugs in Jacob’s system at the time of his death.
What Has Kellie Pickler Said About Kyle Jacobs’ Death?
Kyle Jacobs and Kellie Pickler Daniel Zuchnik/WireImage
Pickler broke her silence on Jacobs’ death five months later, issuing a statement.
“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.’ I have chosen to heed his advice,” she said in August 2023. “Thank you to my family, friends, and supporters, for the countless letters, calls, and messages that you have sent my way. 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.”
When Did She Sell Their Home?
General view of Kellie Pickler’s house in Nashville, Tennessee. MEGA
Online property records indicated that Pickler listed her and Jacobs’ joint home for sale in November 2023. She accepted an offer of $2.3 million in May 2024.
A perfect love. Kellie Pickler and husband Kyle Jacobs were together for over a decade before his tragic death — and shared a life full of laughter and music. While Pickler has been a blonde bombshell of country music since her time on American Idol, Jacobs made his own mark in the entertainment industry behind […]
Why Did Kellie Pickler File a Legal Motion Against Her In-Laws?
Kyle Jacobs and Kellie Pickler Rick Diamond/Getty Images
Jacobs’ parents, who are the coadministrators of Jacobs’ estate, had allegedly demanded that Pickler hand over certain personal effects that belonged to their son. In her legal motion, the American Idol alum denied ownership of the items.
Reed and Sharon specifically requested Jacobs’ gun collection, watches and jewelry, baseball cards, musical instruments and any personal devices. According to Pickler, her in-laws apparently removed certain items from her home without her knowledge.
“As part of this action, Ms. Pickler seeks an order requiring the coadministrators to identify the items that they obtained from her home,” Pickler’s docs read.
How Have Kyle Jacobs’ Parents Reacted to the Legal Claims?
Reed and Sharon disputed Pickler’s claims in their own petition filed in November 2024 and obtained by Us, asserting that they retrieved the items “at the express invitation” of Pickler and her legal team. Her attorneys were reportedly present to “discuss the transfer of items belonging to the estate.”
Reed and Sharon further requested the dismissal of Pickler’s motion, as their property ownership follows the prenuptial agreement that Pickler and Jacobs signed when they got married in 2011.
Kellie Pickler Receives a Protective Order
Pickler was later granted a protective order, which prevents either party from sharing a transcript or video from court proceedings to avoid “annoyance, embarrassment, oppression or undue burden or expense.”
Reed and Sharon, meanwhile, objected to the order.
Kyle Jacobs’ Parents File New Subpoena
Us Weekly confirmed in April 2025 that Reed and Sharon filed a subpoena to Harpeth Memorial Gardens Funeral Home & Cremation Center for information about his funeral and cremation. They are also searching for conversations between the funeral home and Pickler.
The funeral home has allegedly refused to comply with the request and has not filed an objection.
The next month, Us confirmed that Reed and Sharon filed additional subpoenas, claiming that Pickler has tried to undo previous probate proceedings in the two years since Kyle’s death.
“For nearly the entire history of this case, she has argued that there exists unidentified agreements between the parties that are so sensitive and confidential that they should remain unidentified and their terms concealed from any public filing,” Reed and Sharon argued, referring to Pickler’s continued requests to seal court records. “It is inevitable in any lawsuit that information otherwise unknown to the public at large may be disclosed, but purely subjective desire for absolute secrecy is insufficient to satisfy the heavy burden of proof required to justify the sealing of judicial records.”
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