Kellie Pickler Gives First Interview Since Husband’s Death
on May 12, 2026
Kellie Pickler Slowly Returns To The Spotlight With An Appearance On American Idol
Kellie Pickler is grateful for her Idol family.
Last week, Kellie Pickler joined four fellow American Idol Season 5 alumni to perform during the show’s semifinal episode to celebrate 20 years since their time on the competition series.
It was truly an unforgettable moment for fans to see so many beloved singers back on stage, where it all began for them.
And for fans of Kellie, her being there felt even more meaningful since it was one of the very few public appearances she’s made in recent years.
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After Kellie finished in 6th place on Idol, she went on to become one of the show’s most successful former contestants.
She stayed busy with multiple major opportunities, like competing on Dancing With the Stars in 2013, where she won the Mirrorball Trophy. She also co-hosted her own daytime talk show, Pickler & Ben, for two seasons and even starred in her own reality series, I Love Kellie Pickler.
But in 2023, Kellie stepped away from the spotlight completely after her husband, Kyle Jacobs, died. Kyle was found unresponsive at their Nashville home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Before her return to American Idol, the only other public appearance Kellie had made was in 2024 during the tribute event Walkin’ After Midnight: The Music of Patsy Cline at the Ryman Auditorium.
Kellie Says She Feels “Very Blessed” In First Interview Since Her Husband’s Death
Since her husband’s death, Kellie hasn’t participated in any interviews. However, recently, she made a rare appearance on the American Idol podcast hosted by Danielle Fishel, where she reflected on what it was like returning to the Idol stage after so many years.
“It’s just like come full circle, I guess,” she says. “And 20 years, like you said, it’s so nice that each time you come back to Idol, it’s kind of like you pick up right where you left off with everyone.”
Even two decades later, Kellie says nothing has changed about the close bonds she built with the people who worked on the show.
“I hope people really believe me when I say this, it is a family here. It is an idol family,” she continued. And once you’re a part of it, it’s forever no matter what season you’re on. And so it’s really nice to come back and see so many of the same people that were working on the show 20 years ago.”
She also shared how grateful she is for the way the show ultimately changed her life. Although the past few years have been difficult for the “I Wonder” singer, Kellie says she will always hold onto the appreciation she has for how the show shaped her journey.
“I think just coming from such a small town and I’ve never really been anywhere,” she says. That was my first time getting on an airplane, flying to Hollywood. It’s the first time I flew across the country and experienced all of these first time moments with the world watching at the same time.”
She continued, “So a lot of people that watched my season were just kind of growing with me and watched me grow up on TV. And so it’s wild to think, wow, 20 years have passed and a lot’s happened and I’m very blessed. I’m very blessed.”
You can watch Kellie Pickler’s interview on the American Idol podcast below.
