Jake Owen and Lacey Buchanan announce divorce

Singer Jake Owen and his wife, Lacey Buchanan, arrive at the 50th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Arlington, Texas April 19, 2015. REUTERS

Jake Owen and his wife Lacey Buchanan are getting a divorce. The “Real Life” singer shared the news with his fans on Friday, calling it the hardest thing he’s ever done.

The singer’s full statement reads:

“I wanted to let my fans know how much I’ve appreciated their support of not only my career, but my family as a whole. Sadly, Lacey and I have decided to end our marriage. We want to focus on our daughter Pearl and make sure that she has a beautiful life with loving parents. We appreciate you respecting our privacy during this time.”

Owen and Lacey Bucanhan married in May 2012 after a short engagement. They met on the set of Owen’s “Eight Second Ride” music video. She was his co-star in the steamy clip for the country rock song from the "Easy Does It" album.

Daughter Pearl was born in November 2012 and the three would frequently travel together.

Owen revealed in June that they were having communication problems and were talking about divorce. Talking about the issue, he told America’s Morning Show, “made us feel better talking about the things we’ve kept from each other.”

The news is the third of a high-profile country couple splitting. Just this week Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock announced they were ending their marriage. On July 20 Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert revealed they were breaking up.

Shelton, Lambert and Owen are set to play WE Fest 2015 this weekend, with Lambert headlining Friday night and Owen and Shelton playing Saturday night.

“Real Life” is the first single from Owen’s upcoming fifth studio album.