The Truth About Trisha Yearwood And Garth Brooks' Marriage

What's the truth about Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks' marriage? The pair are one of country music's most famous couples with pitch perfect harmony both on and off the stage. While this duo knows how to put on a show together, they're each superstars in their own right: Brooks is a Grammy-winning, seven-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, and his three-time Grammy-winning wife is a Grand Ole Opry legend. But despite their professional achievements, marriage is, by far, their biggest accolade. Though the two first met as relative unknowns in the late '80s, their love story wouldn't begin until nearly two decades later. 

Between touring, raising a family and pursuing other interests — such as a cooking show, as in Yearwood's case — marriage hasn't always been easy. But, no matter how busy life gets, Yearwood is still in love with Brooks, and though the two aren't shy when it comes to professing their love for one another, there's a lot we didn't know about their marriage...until now! 

Looking at these lovebirds, you'd think Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks were an item as soon as they locked eyes, but you'd be wrong. The two were married to other people when they first met in 1987 at songwriter Kent Blazy's attic studio; they were there to record a demo together, per CMT. Back then, Brooks was hubby to Sandy Mahl, who he wed the year before meeting Yearwood, according to US Weekly. At the time, Yearwood was the wife of music producer Chris Latham (via Good Housekeeping).

The two remained loyal to their spouses, but Brooks later admitted on The Ellen Show in 2013 that Yearwood made him question his marriage. "You being married, it's gotta be right," he said, about trying to rationalize his marriage to Mahl. "You were married in front of God and your family and everything."

So Brooks and Yearwood remained friends. Yearwood would end up divorcing Latham before tying the knot again in 1994, this time with Robert Reynolds (from The Mavericks), as reported by AP News. Brooks didn't split from his first wife until 2000, per US Weekly. 

Garth Brooks knew Trisha Yearwood was the one when he first met her in the '80s, early in both their careers. "I felt that feeling like you just met your wife," he told The Ellen Show in 2013. But Brooks was already married and remained loyal to then-wife Sandy Mahl. 

Maybe things would've worked out differently had Brooks known the feeling was mutual. During a joint interview with Parade magazine in 2016, Yearwood confessed to knowing Brooks was the one "the minute I met him," but didn't realize it at the time.

It's not like the Brooks and Yearwood were household names, at least not yet, so it's not like they were starstruck; it was a pure, organic spark. "We hit it off," Yearwood recalled during a CMT interview. "But I had no idea he'd turn out to be Garth Brooks!" Little did the two know then that they'd not only become country music stars, but that they'd marry each other someday. 

Seeing as romance was out of the picture, Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks settled for friendship, and supported one another in their professional music careers. According to E! News, once Brooks started making a name for himself, he helped Yearwood land a record contract, and chose her as the opening act for his national tour in 1991. The two even sang duets and backup vocals on each other's albums. 

Despite influencing much of her early career, Brooks never credited himself for Yearwood's rise. ”To tell you the truth, Trish Yearwood pretty well pulled herself up by her own shoes,” he told the Chicago Tribune during a 2001 interview.

When Brooks split from his first wife in 1999, Yearwood just so happened to be single herself, according to US Weekly. That's when their friendship blossomed into something more. "[Trisha] was somebody who I always enjoyed being around, and we had a lot more in common than I ever dreamed we did," Brooks revealed on The Ellen Show. "We started seeing each other after the divorce, [after] we came off tour," he said. The rest is history!

Being the rockstar entertainer that he is, Garth Brooks proposed to Trisha Yearwood in front of thousands of people — 7,000 to be exact. It was May 2005, and the couple was at Buck Owens's Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California. The pair were there to watch the unveiling of an eight-foot tall statue of Brooks, according to People. 

During the ceremony, Brooks brought his leading lady onstage — not to sing — but to see the statue up close. Afterwards, Brooks pointed out a wedding band fixed to the statue's ring finger. Then much to Yearwood's surprise, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She said yes! "Her knees were like Jell-O," Jerry Hufford, talent coordinator for the country music venue, said about Yearwood's reaction. "She was totally stunned...It took her a while to regain composure. You could tell she'd been crying." Talk about a wedding proposal guaranteed to make you cry!

During a joint interview on Live with Kelly in 2016, Yearwood said she'll never forget that moment, and quipped: "Bakersfield is the most romantic city in the country for me."

Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks decided to skip the fanfare created by their very public proposal, opting instead for something a little more private and intimate for their actual wedding day. According to People, the couple tied the knot towards the end of 2005 at their Oklahoma home in front of family only. "It's the perfect Christmas gift to each other," Brooks said in a statement. "We could not be happier."

Garth Brooks' three daughters — who have grown up to be gorgeous – played an important role in their wedding ceremony, seeing as Yearwood doesn't have kids of her own. From Brooks' previous marriage to Sandy Mahl, Taylor, August, and Allie also made their commitment to Yearwood official. "We married the girls," Yearwood explained on the Rachael Ray Show in 2019. "They wore little wedding dresses, we exchanged rings — 'cause they had to say it was okay for me to marry their dad." She added her anniversary with Brooks is also theirs with the children. Their marriage is truly a family affair!

Don't call country singer Trisha Yearwood "stepmom." In the Yearwood-Brooks household, she's the bonus mom instead. "Stepmom's very Cinderella. It doesn't have good connotations," Yearwood said on the Rachael Ray Show. "And so you're a bonus mom because the girls have a mom, and I get to be another woman in their life that loves them." That's a really wholesome sentiment!

From the looks of her Instagram page, Yearwood close to all three girls — Taylor, August, and Allie – and supports them, even in their careers. Yearwood even had Allie as a special guest on her Food Network show Trisha's Southern Kitchen, and touted her stepdaughter's musical skills in an episode teaser with the caption: "To say I am a proud bonus mom is an understatement! Allie, you are my new favorite duet partner (psst! Don't tell your dad!)"

Marriage is hard work, even if you're one of country music's most famous couples, as is the case for Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks. But the two somehow manage to thrive in the marriage department by making each other a priority. "You have to make it a conscious effort to make sure that you put each other first, and we do that, and sometimes it's not easy," Yearwood told Good Morning America. It takes a lot of compromise, she added, and it helps the two are best friends and enjoy spending time together. Still, there are some strange facts about Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood's marriage.

So how do the couple prioritize one another? "We tour together, we try to go everywhere together and we really don't spend that much time apart," Yearwood revealed on Live with Kelly in 2016, in a joint interview with Garth Brooks. When asked if they ever get on each other's nerves, Brooks said no, adding "she's always right." Still, Trisha Yearwood has spilled on how husband Garth Brooks annoys her in the past.

Power couple Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood are great solo, but they're even better when they sing together. They've performed ballads everywhere, from the CMA Awards to their home studio. Never shy to show the love and affection they have for one another, the pair often hold hands onstage, and aren't afraid to lean in for an almost kiss during especially emotional performances. 

When it comes time for a solo, Brooks and Yearwood are still not far apart. Typically, while one is on stage, the other is in the crowd. Plus, oftentimes the pair dedicate the songs to each other, like when Brooks performed "Stronger Than Me" at the CMA Awards in 2018. "It was not written by me, [but] the second I heard it, I said, 'Omigosh, that's what I'd say to Trisha if I was talented enough to write that,'" he told Extra on the red carpet, prior to his CMA performance. Yearwood, who was beside Brooks during the interview, said it's important to make your spouse feel loved, and what better way than a song? "This is a grand gesture," she admitted.

A couple that not only sings together, but also gives back to their community together is sure to make it in the long haul. At least, that's what we hope for Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks, who volunteer often with Habitat for Humanity, helping to build affordable housing for families in need. 

The couple got involved with the nonprofit when they flew to New Orleans following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. "Garth and I were asked to participate basically in a photo op in New Orleans after Katrina, and we went," she explained in an interview with SheKnows. "We were supposed to be there for an hour or two, and we ended up staying all day and got involved in swinging a hammer and it was like, "This is our wheelhouse, this is what we want to do.'"

During an interview with Good Morning America about their volunteerism, Brooks and Yearwood pointed at one another when asked who's better with the power tools. Brooks called his wife "a nail gun diva." Hilarious!

Trisha Yearwood — who's undergone a stunning transformation — and Garth Brooks like to spice things up in their marriage by cooking together, or for one another. Seeing as Yearwood is a best-selling cookbook author and host of Trisha's Southern Kitchen on Food Network, you might think she's the designated home chef. However, Brooks is pretty handy in the kitchen as well; it pays off anytime Yearwood gets home after a long day of filming her cooking show. "He's always got something made," she revealed to Access. "The only thing sexier is when he loads the dishwasher."

Brooks has even made appearances on his wife's cooking show. What a supportive husband! Yearwood actually nicknamed her hubby Gartha Stewart (a twist on Martha Stewart, who has her own show on HGTV). "He is a good cook," she told Extra. "He also gets really excited if he makes like a sandwich that looks good. He'll take a picture of it." In this situation, there's no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen.

Trisha Yearwood and Garth Brooks have owned several awe-worthy properties across the country, including a $5 million Malibu beach house, which according to Variety, was purchased by them in 2008; they sold it nearly 10 years later for $7 million. 

For years, Brooks and Yearwood resided in Oklahoma, the former's home state, until his youngest daughter graduated from high school, according to Today. "He adores his children, and there was no way he wasn't going to be a part of his daughter's lives on a daily basis," a source told the Daily Mail. The couple listed the 14,089 square-foot palace in 2014 for approximately $3.5 million. 

As of 2015, according to People, Brooks and Yearwood bought a home in Nashville, Tennessee, but because of touring, they didn't get a chance to enjoy it until almost three years later. Brooks told Live with Kelly and Ryan in 2018 that they built their home from the ground up "just the way that [Yearwood] wanted it." Once they were able to settle in and hang pictures, he said, it started feeling like home.

Trisha Yearwood was there for Garth Brooks following his divorce from Sandy Mahl. Brooks confessed that she helped him get through that rough patch while promoting his documentary, The Road I'm On, in New York (via US Weekly). "I just said goodbye to music, got divorced, moved back to Oklahoma and left Nashville," he said. "I was living with three strange women that I did not know. They were 8, 6, and 4." Then, in the midst of this "crash course" in the fairer sex, his "best friend showed up." That best friend was Yearwood, of course.

Years later, the married couple, who wed in 2005, faced another obstacle, along with the rest of the world: COVID-19. Brooks confessed in a virtual press conference (via People) that his daughter, Allie Brooks, tested positive for the virus. "None of us has ever seen this before," he said. "As parents like you, like me, all you do is pray your knee bones off."

Brooks and Yearwood had to quarantine as well, as they work with their son-in-law. Fortunately, everyone was okay in the end.

Things might've been different had Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood not been married when they first met back in the '80s, before either of their careers took off. But that might not necessarily have been for the better, according to Brooks, who entertained that idea during a live Q&A with his wife (via KTLA 5). "Our careers would not be what they were in the '90s or our marriage would not have survived the '90s," Brooks said. "I think everything kind of happens in its time." 

Before tying the knot in 2005, Brooks had been married once before, and Yearwood twice. "I'm not proud to have been divorced," Yearwood told a reporter following the Q&A. But said that she and Brooks got together at a good time in both their lives. "I also know at that point in my life what I want and what I don't want," she said, referring to when she wed Brooks at the age of 41. 

Trisha Yearwood feels lucky to share her life with Garth Brooks, and believes that they hit the jackpot when they finally found their way to each other. "We're with the love of our lives, and we also get to do what we love to do for a living," she shared in an interview with Extra. "As long as we can do that we're going to do that." 

It's safe to say that Brooks feels the same. Always the romantic, he said during a joint Q&A session with his wife (via KTLA 5) that he loves doing everything together with her, from raising a family to touring. "I can just be in the same room with her not doing anything she's doing, but just knowing you're breathing the same air kind of thing, knowing...she's happy doing what she's doing, that kind of makes you feel at ease," he said. Be still our hearts! We can't wait to see what else these two lovebirds, and songbirds, have up their sleeves — and we hope that it's together.