Sara Evans and Jay Barker Have Come a Long Way Since Their Marriage Nearly Ended
Sara Evans and Jay Barker Have Come a Long Way Since Their Marriage Nearly Ended
Donny Meacham Tue, November 3, 2026 at 8:05 AM UTC
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©Michael Buckner, Getty Images
Sara Evans has weathered some difficult chapters in her personal life, including a painful split from her husband, Jay Barker. But these days, the country singer is looking ahead to a much different season.
At 55, Evans is enjoying family milestones and getting to know her first grandchild.
Still, the happiness she describes today comes after a few years that brought some serious uncertainty about what her future would look like.
“I’m just in heaven,” the “A Little Bit Stronger” singer told People, while getting ready to visit daughter Audrey for breakfast and a long walk with her grandson, John Evans.
Read More: These Are Country Music’s Most Volatile Marriages
That feeling is especially meaningful given what Evans and Barker have been through — and how much has changed since she filed for divorce in 2021.
What Happened Between Sara Evans and Jay Barker?
Evans filed for divorce in August 2021. In January 2022, Barker was arrested and charged with felony assault. He later entered a plea of best interest to a misdemeanor reckless endangerment charge and was placed on probation.
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The couple remained separated in the months that followed, attending couples and individual therapy as they worked through their relationship. In February 2023, they dismissed their divorce filing and ultimately reconciled.
Read More: How Sara Evans’ First No. 1 Hit Changed Her Career
Now, Evans says the couple has found their way back to the life and marriage they once hoped to have.
God has been so good to us. Restoring our marriage and our life back to what it was and what we always wanted and dreamed it could be is amazing. Sometimes we have to pinch ourselves. I can’t believe all this is really happening and we’re here.
Sara Evans Is Enjoying a New Chapter as a Grandmother
The family has had plenty of happy milestones in recent months. Evans’ daughter Olivia, 23, married Blake Irwin in September 2025, and daughter Audrey, 22, welcomed her first child with boyfriend John Headley later that same month. Evans is also mom to son Avery, 27.
The new arrival has given Evans and Barker a couple of new titles, too.
“I’m ‘Granny’ and he’s ‘Granddaddy,’” Evans says with a laugh. “It sounds funny because I don’t really look like a granny. But John Evans is always going to think I’m old no matter what!”
When Is Sara Evans Going on Tour?
Evans will hit the road for her Holiday Road Tour, featuring opening act Braden Hull. The tour kicks off Dec. 2 in Rhode Island.
After a few years of uncertainty, Evans is looking forward to what comes next, with family milestones and a marriage she says has been restored.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
