Darius Rucker is getting candid about his divorce from his wife of nearly 20 years.
Rucker spoke to singer Kelleigh Bannen on “Today’s Country Radio” on Apple Music Nov. 24 and discussed his split from his wife, Beth Leonard, in July 2020. Their breakup is also the subject of his song “Never Been Over,” which came out in October.
The singer blew out a gust of air when asked what he's learned about himself through his divorce.
“A lot,” the country music star shared at first.
“I learned how there’s help out there for people,” he told Bannen. “You know, being raised the way I was and where I was, that’s not always — and in the Black community especially, that’s frowned upon a lot, too. But I learned that there’s a lot of people out there that’ll talk to you, that’ll help you a lot.”
The musician has incorporated this period of his life into his music. In October, Rucker released his newest album, “Carolyn’s Boy,” which includes the personal song “Never Been Over.”
Writing the song was "freeing," he told Bannen. The chorus was “tough” to commit to, he said, citing the lyrics, “Splittin’ up records/ Puttin’ up walls.”
“That thought right there, I was like, ‘Do we really want to say it like that?’ But the more we sang it... that's what you do. So that was tough. But the song helped me a lot.”
But Rucker said music has “always been my therapy,” adding, “And you write a song like that, and you sing it over and over, and you cry sometimes when you sing it.”
“It’s just one of those songs, and I love it,” he continued. “That song for me, when we were done with it, I was like, ‘Man, that was therapy right there.’”
Rucker and Leonard wed in December 2000. The couple share two children: daughter Daniella and son Jack.
The “Wagon Wheel” singer and Leonard announced on Instagram in July 2020 that they had separated after more than 20 years together and would “consciously uncouple” à la Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin.
In the wake of their split, the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman told Bannen that he was able to alleviate the guilt he felt, explaining, “My 50-something self is a lot more forgiving than the mid-20-something self.”
“You have to. Because life goes on,” he added. “Your kids are still your kids, and you have a life, and you try to make the best of it. Like I always say, she’s a saint, she’s an amazing human being, and she’s a great mom, and we get through life.”
Last month, Rucker opened up to People about the hardships he faced after his split, nothing that the couple was “not officially divorced yet.”
“That stuff hurts and you feel like a failure,” Rucker explained. “But we’re still a family — a piece of paper is not going to change that.”