The Truth About Miranda Lambert And Brendan McLoughlin's Marriage

For the most part, relationships in Hollywood tend to come with an expiration date. Sure, there are the couples who make it look easy — like Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds or Ellen DeGeneres and Portia De Rossi — but more often than not, love among famous people doesn't last long. 

But when a celebrity marries a non-celebrity, things can be different; there are fewer pressures in some ways, and more pressures in others. Really, it's anyone's guess what will happen when, say, a famous musician marries a police officer. But a certain country singer decided to find out.

The truth about Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin's marriage is that it's definitely not your typical Hollywood love story, that's for sure. The pair may have shocked Lambert's fans when they announced their nuptials, but there's so much more to the story than just a quick wedding. Lambert and McLoughlin's love story and marriage is seriously interesting, and you might be shocked to learn about all the pieces that had to fall into place for them to end up together.

It isn't unusual for two famous country music artists to fall in love and get married. Faith Hill and Tim McGraw anyone? Obviously, when you're both in the same industry, it's only natural that a close relationship would develop in some way or another. And that's what happened with Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton, who tied the knot in 2011. But, in 2015, Lambert and Shelton announced that they were splitting up after almost five years of marriage. So, Lambert had to take time to recover from her divorce.

However, Lambert obviously started dating again, reportedly hooking up with fellow musician Evan Felker back in 2018 (via Us Weekly). Then in an August 2018 interview with Tennessean, Lambert described herself as "happily single," adding, "Love is a hard road sometimes and it's been a roller-coaster ride for me." 

As hard as that breakup must have been for Lambert, she was only single for a few months before meeting Brendan McLoughlin in November 2018, according to People. And for as many ups and downs as Lambert has faced, it's clear that fate took over when it came to her being single before meeting McLoughlin.

Everyone has a past, obviously, whether we like it or not. For Miranda Lambert, her history with ex-husband Blake Shelton is pretty much out there for anyone to read about. But since Brendan McLoughlin and Lambert got together, his past has been making headlines as well. Specifically, he's been accused of cheating, and had some interesting life changes right when he and Lambert met.

According to Carol Bruno, her daughter, Jackie Bruno, was hurt by McLoughlin. "She was engaged to Brendan and he cheated on her and got another girl pregnant," Bruno told Us Weekly. "It's all true." And well, at least part of it is true; Us Weekly also reported that just three days after McLoughlin and Lambert met, he welcomed his first child — a baby boy named Landon — with an ex. Clearly, Lambert and McLoughlin have both had some relationship issues in the past, but that hasn't stopped them from falling in love and moving forward together.

Now, in case you weren't aware, Brendan McLoughlin was actually a New York City police officer when he met Miranda Lambert. Obviously, you might be wondering how exactly a cop and a country singer met and fell in love, but there's actually a totally adorable story behind it.

An insider close to the couple told People that the pair met on November 2, 2018, while Lambert made an appearance on "Good Morning America” along with her fellow Pistol Annies bandmates. Apparently, McLoughlin was working crowd control in the area while Lambert was there. But if that surprises you, you aren't alone — Lambert kept her relationship with McLoughlin extremely private for a while, and it was nearly impossible to know that the two were together. 

While Lambert isn't the first celebrity to date a non-celebrity, her relationship with McLoughlin was still very much low-key at the start. And honestly, that's probably a good thing, so McLoughlin could adjust to being with a famous musician without tabloids following their every move.

Clearly, Miranda Lambert fell pretty hard for Brendan McLoughlin, and vice versa. Want proof? On February 16, 2019, just over three months after Lambert and McLoughlin met in New York City, she shared to her social media that they'd gotten married. "I met the love of my life. And we got hitched!" she captioned a series of photos of their wedding on Instagram. 

Obviously, this came as a huge shock to fans who didn't even know she was dating McLoughlin, let alone that the pair were ready to get married. But Lambert had her reasons for keeping things private. In an interview with People, Lambert explained that she felt protective of her relationship with McLoughlin. "I was married before, and it was a huge wedding and everything was very public. So was my divorce," she revealed. "This is my actual life. With Brendan, I made it a point to keep it as private as I could for as long as I could." It makes sense that Lambert would keep her relationship and wedding private, especially after all she'd been through with her first marriage.

Even though Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin's wedding surprised just about everyone, there's no denying that they both seemed completely happy and in love. But a few months after Lambert announced her happy new union, rumors started to swirl that things weren't all sunshine and rainbows after all. Specifically, as People reported, there was gossip that Lambert was ready to call off her marriage to McLoughlin, but that couldn't have been further from the truth. In fact, a representative for Lambert actually told People as much. "[The report] is completely made up," they explained. "Not one iota is true. They are happy and together!" 

Even while Lambert and McLoughlin's relationship and marriage was brand new, rumors were trying to bring them down – but the pair didn't let them. Another insider told People that the pair were practically perfect together. "I think he provides for her a state of [normalcy] that balances with her life before she became Miranda Lambert," the source said. 

Lambert and McLoughlin faced critics early on in their marriage, and came out the other end stronger and happier.

To say that Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin met during hectic times in their lives would be a pretty massive understatement. Obviously, Lambert had recently gotten out of a relationship and was busy with her career, while McLoughlin was literally only a few days away from becoming a first-time dad. But the two have apparently taken all the craziness in stride, and Lambert definitely has enjoyed being a stepmom to McLoughlin's son.

During an interview with Extra, Lambert made it clear that she'd adjusted to being a stepmom just fine. "My stepson is amazing," she gushed. "I'm loving that whole phase, and I've raised a million dogs, so I feel like ... that part of my womanly/motherly thing is full, so this is a whole new journey. It's great." 

Though it had to have been interesting for Lambert to become a wife and stepmother all in one fell swoop, it's clearly something she really enjoyed.

Since Miranda Lambert met her husband in New York City while she was working, and calls Nashville home, it's only natural to wonder where the pair would end up living. But, it appears as though the happy couple has found a way to both be where they want and need to be. Lambert has a farm in Tennessee that she clearly cherishes, and Brendan McLoughlin has a son in New York who means the world to him. So what's a couple to do?

Lambert explained during an interview with Extra that she and McLoughlin had started to split their time between two cities. "We have the best of both worlds," she shared. "We spend time in New York, we get to see our adorable nugget, then we get to come back to the farm and have the quiet life. I'm enjoying the balance." 

Obviously, Lambert and McLoughlin go to New York to see McLoughlin's son, though Lambert's home will always be Nashville.

When Miranda Lambert first met husband Brendan McLoughlin, she was a country singer and he was a police officer in New York City. But after they got married, McLoughlin went on to make a pretty important career shift. As Lambert is based in Nashville and McLoughlin's job was in New York City, it would be hard to make the relationship work long-distance. But, it seems as though McLoughlin left his job with the New York Police Department after things with Lambert got more serious.

In fact, a NYPD DCPI spokesperson told Fox News that McLoughlin was no longer employed by the department as of February 2020. "His current duty status is retired," the spokesperson said. Additionally, Fox News reported that McLoughlin has apparently taken a role as part of Lambert's security team. An eyewitness who attended a concert of Lambert's explained, "Brendan was the security guard right before you go in to meet Miranda for her meet and greet." Clearly, Lambert and McLoughlin have found a situation that works for them, and that includes McLoughlin shifting gears.

Obviously, the fact that Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin got married so soon after meeting proves that the two have a connection like no other. And nothing really says "true love" like a romantic music video, especially when it was a first for Lambert to ever have a romantic interest in one of her videos. Yes, in October 2020, Lambert released the music video for her single, "Settling Down," which starred her and McLoughlin as a love-struck couple.

In an interview with New York's Country 94.7, Lambert discussed what it was like making the video with her husband. "It's really special," Lambert explained. "I've never had a video in 18 years in the business with a love interest, and so it's kinda funny that my husband's my first one." Additionally, Lambert joked that McLoughlin was an easy choice for the video because it was seriously convenient. "I'm like, 'you're cute, you're here, and you're free,'" she continued. Hey, it all worked out for the best, and the video is seriously gorgeous.

While it's unclear whether or not Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin got to take a honeymoon after their wedding, they haven't skimped on the travel since getting married. The two have not only been going back and forth between New York City and Nashville, but they've also started going on cross-country adventures together as well.

Taking to Instagram, Lambert posted a photo of herself alongside McLoughlin — and a brand new Airstream travel trailer. "Just because I can't travel and play shows doesn't mean I can't travel and make music," she explained. "I have the most amazing travel companion, my husband, and we decided to add a family member," Lambert wrote, referring to the new Airstream. "I'll be pulling this rig all over the country. I know that seeing the world through the windshield again will bring creative vibes." 

Clearly, Lambert and McLoughlin enjoy time together on the road, and that sounds pretty darn romantic, especially in the age of so many shutdowns from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin definitely had a whirlwind romance, so it would be understandable if they wanted to wait a bit before having children. But that might not be the case. So, do Lambert and McLoughlin even want to have kids? Obviously McLoughlin shares a son with his ex, but does that mean the couple won't be expanding their own family anytime soon? 

Well, according to one source close to the couple, McLoughlin and Lambert are reportedly ready to give it a go. Specifically, the insider told In Touch that the pair was "trying" to conceive," since Lambert had "baby fever." Additionally, "Brendan and Miranda don't see the point in waiting around to have children," the source continued. "With everyone being on lockdown, the timing couldn't be better." 

That's a big change from where Lambert stood on children when she was married to Blake Shelton back in 2013. At that time, she told Entertainment Tonight, "Our dogs are our children and we kind of treat them that way."

Like most couples, Miranda Lambert and Brendan McLoughlin spent a lot of time at home after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in 2020. At that point, the pair had only been married for about a year, and as Lambert was unable to travel and have concerts for a while, they sheltered in place together. But Lambert explained that the time off actually did them good and even brought them closer.

In an interview with New York's Country 94.7, Lambert spoke honestly about how COVID-19 had impacted her life, and whether it put any extra strain on her relationship. "If newlyweds can survive a pandemic then I think we're good, you know? It's a good test," she revealed. Additionally, Lambert said that the downtime was actually pretty nice. "The first month I had a lot of fun," she continued. "Well, not fun but I was like, 'OK, we're off. We'll probably be back on the road in a couple of months.'" 

Though the pandemic wasn't easy for anyone, Lambert and McLoughlin enjoyed the extra time together — and managed to avoid the COVID divorce rampage that seemed to come from too much time in quarantine.

Most fans of Miranda Lambert know that the country singer is passionate about animals, especially rescuing dogs. So naturally, Brendan McLoughlin got in on the animal rescue action when the two got married and moved in together. But you might not have expected him to be as hands-on as he is.

Believe it or not, but in June 2020, McLoughlin spotted a kitten abandoned on the side of the road and brought him home to Lambert. The pair named the cat Tequila, and have loved having another little animal to take care of. "Tequila is adjusting perfectly to farm life and loves hanging out with my dogs," Lambert told People. "My husband found him at the perfect time," she continued, explaining that her company had just expanded to selling cat food. "Needless to say, he has been eating well," she added.

So, while Lambert and McLoughlin might have a soft spot for dogs, it's clear that rescuing a kitten together has only brought them even closer as a family. After all, who wouldn't want an adorably kitten at home during a pandemic?