Kellie Pickler has reached a confidential settlement with the parents of her late husband, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, ending more than two years of litigation over his belongings. The agreement was reached November 3, according to court documents obtained by PEOPLE.
The paperwork describes Pickler, 40, and Reed and Sharon Jacobs as “satisfied with the distribution of assets.” The terms do not publicly identify which possessions went to each side.
Jacobs died by suicide on February 17, 2023, at the Nashville home he shared with Pickler. He was 49. The couple had married on January 1, 2011, in a private Caribbean ceremony.
Their work brought them together on television as well as in music. They starred in CMT’s I Love Kellie Pickler from 2015 to 2017, and Jacobs’ songwriting credits included recordings by Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw and Kelly Clarkson, as Entertainment Weekly noted.
A Subpoena Sought Watches, Instruments and Personal Devices
Reed and Sharon served as coadministrators of their son’s estate. Their list of requested property included watches, jewelry, baseball cards, musical instruments, firearms and personal electronics, including his iPhone and work laptop.
In an August 16, 2024, petition reviewed by Us Weekly, Pickler said some requested items were not in her possession and disputed ownership of others. She also asked the court to require his parents to identify belongings they had removed from her home.
The parents disputed her account. In their response, they said Pickler and her attorneys had invited them into the house to discuss transferring estate property, and that she had set items aside for them to collect. They sought dismissal of her petition, citing the couple’s prenuptial agreement as the basis for their claims.
A Judge Rejected the Parents’ Subpoena in 2025
The fight also involved access to records of Pickler’s testimony. A protective order restricted either side from sharing her deposition transcript or video. Reed and Sharon objected to that restriction in November 2024.
On November 25, 2025, a Tennessee judge ruled that their subpoena was “void and unenforceable” in the estate administration case, according to a subsequent Us Weekly report. The court found that the paperwork had been improperly completed and that the parents had not filed a complaint or petition against Pickler in that proceeding.
The judge also questioned a request that required her to bring numerous possessions, some large and heavy, rather than documents that could readily be copied or inspected. The order left open the possibility of seeking a subpoena in the separate case Pickler had brought against them.
Pickler Returned to the Stage With a Song She Wrote With Jacobs
In an August 2023 statement to PEOPLE, Pickler thanked family, friends and fans for their letters, calls and messages. She recalled her husband’s advice for moments of crisis: “do nothing, just be still.”
She performed publicly again on April 22, 2024, at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium during Walkin’ After Midnight: The Music of Patsy Cline. Her choice was “The Woman I Am,” which she had written with Jacobs. As ABC News noted, the title track of her 2013 album includes a reference to Cline.
Pickler acknowledged feeling nervous before singing and recalled that her previous visit to the Ryman had been a date night with Jacobs. “I know he is here with us tonight,” she told the audience.
She Revisited Her Audition Song on American Idol
On May 4, 2026, Pickler returned to American Idol for its reunion celebrating the 2006 contestants. She had finished sixth during Season 5, when Taylor Hicks won. This time, she joined contestant Hannah Harper for Martina McBride’s “A Broken Wing,” the song she had performed at her original audition, according to the Deseret News.
Before the duet, Pickler encouraged Harper: “This is your moment, so own it.” The judges gave the pair a standing ovation, with Lionel Richie telling them, “The two of you together make one dynamic performance.”
Speaking on the show’s official podcast two days later, Pickler recalled how her first trip to Hollywood had also been her first time on an airplane. Returning meant seeing people who had worked on the show when she was starting out. “And once you’re a part of it, it’s forever no matter what season you’re on,” she said.