Over a year after the tragic death of Kyle Jacobs, husband to country singer Kellie Pickler, by suicide, Pickler finds herself embroiled in a legal dispute with his parents.

Court documents filed in August 2024, which Us Weekly obtained, reveal that there is a conflict over certain personal belongings that were allegedly in Kyle’s possession before he passed away.

Pickler has accused Jacobs’ parents, Reed and Sharon, of compiling a “List of Assets” and issuing a subpoena demanding she hand over these items. However, Pickler contends that she does not have all the items in question.

The relationship between Pickler and Jacobs began in 2008, culminating in marriage three years later. They remained together until his untimely death in 2023.

Kellie Pickler and Kyle Jacobs shared a deep connection through their mutual love of music, but they took their time before tying the knot. The couple first met in the mid-2000s through a mutual friend. During a “Newlywed Game” segment with Us Weekly in December 2015, they humorously recalled Jacobs’ initial pickup line, which was simply, “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?

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?

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?

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.”

Us exclusively reported in November 2025 that a judge sided with Pickler and shut down Reed and Sharon’s subpoena. In the ruling, the judge found that the paperwork was improperly completed.

“The court is unclear about [Reed and Sharon’s] expectations regarding the subpoena. It appears that [Reed and Sharon] may have expected that issuing the subpoena would cause [Pickler] to simply turn the requested items over to them,” the order read. “Or, in the alternative, they may have simply expected to be given the opportunity to inspect or make an inventory of the items.”

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