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Louise Thomas
Editor
Maren Morris has found solace and strength in her four-year-old son, Hayes Andrew.
In the past year, the “Girl” singer has undergone major life changes after divorcing her husband, Ryan Hurd, and coming out as bisexual. However, one constant has kept her grounded – her son.
In conversation with People ahead of her new EP release, Intermission, Morris, 34 reflected on how helpful Hayes was in the past 12 months, saying he “definitely brought me through a lot of this year.”
“Whether he knows it or not,” she added. “I doubt he does, but I just want to be a good mom to him.”
Morris filed for divorce from Hurd, 37, in October 2023, citing “irreconcilable differences” as cause for their separation. The two were married for nearly six years, tying the knot in 2018. Their divorce was finalized in January.
Five months after Morris and Hurd had separated, the “Chasing After You” vocalist came out as bisexual. Honoring Pride Month, Morris took to her Instagram and opened up to her followers alongside a carousel of images from her Pheonix, Arizona, concert. “Happy to be the B in LGBTQ+,” the performer wrote. “Happy Pride.”
Amid the change in their family dynamic, Morris has tried to offer Hayes the same strength he’s given her. She’s tried “to put on a brave face and a consistent face” for him, even when she’s had to interact with Hurd.
Morris told People: “I think he’s gone through a lot and there’s, I’m sure, a lot of confusion because he’s so little. But also, I feel like Ryan and I have done a really great job at just being great parents for him.”
Morris’ close relationship with Hayes has continued since their family split, bringing him along with her on the RSVP Redex tour. According to the music icon, Hayes loves traveling from city to city, living the rockstar lifestyle on the tour bus.
“He loves being on the road, which has been so much fun this summer, having Hayes out,” she remarked. “I don’t know, we feel like partners in crime a little bit, and we’re going to be on this bus journey for forever. It just makes me so happy when he’s out and the fact that he loves it out here so much.”
Following years of persistence and hard work, the standout musician is finally releasing her EP. Morris has tried to get into the music industry for a while, auditioning and applying for singing competition shows like American Idol, The Voice, and America’s Got Talent. Though she may not have appreciated being rejected at the time, Morris is thankful for the journey because it’s led her to where she is now.
Speaking to Howard Stern on SiriusXM in December 2023, Morris detailed how she felt after the rejections. “It sucked, it hurt for sure,” she admitted. “I’m so lucky that they did say ‘no,’ because I was not ready to be in the limelight. The music was not there, my voice was still maturing… I would’ve been a f***king nightmare.”
