Singer-songwriter Michelle Branch and Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney will not be proceeding with their divorce proceedings — for now.
The “Everywhere” singer, who filed the initial divorce petition against Carney, initiated the official split in August amid allegations of infidelity and her arrest for domestic assault. (She’s since been cleared.) However, she cited “irreconcilable differences” in her divorce petition.
According to court documents filed Tuesday in Davidson County Circuit Court in Nashville, Judge Phillip Robinson signed off on the couple’s order of reconciliation — a request to suspend their divorce proceedings without prejudice — for six months. During that time, the musicians are set to undergo counseling. Once that’s over, they will decide if they want to proceed with the divorce.
“As evidenced by the signatures below, that the parties, Michelle Jacquet Branch and Patrick James Carney, are seeking a suspension of the divorce proceedings in this cause to effect reconciliation,” said the signed order, which was reviewed Wednesday by The Times.
“The parties may participate in counseling services to effectuate reconciliation and/or may resume living together as husband and wife and their acts and conduct in doing so shall not be determined condonation of any prior misconduct and all acts or actions by the parties prior to the entry of this order shall remain and constitute grounds for divorce.”
Attorneys for the musicians did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ requests for further comment.
Branch, 39, was arrested on Aug. 11 shortly after she accused Carney, 42, in a since-deleted tweet of cheating on her with his manager while she “was home with our 6 month old daughter,” whom she gave birth to in February. She then announced that she was “devastated” by the end of their three-year marriage.
The next morning, the “All You Wanted” and “Are You Happy Now?” singer was arrested and charged with domestic assault. Police officers had been called to the couple’s home where Branch told them that she and Carney were “having marital issues and had been arguing,” according to the criminal court affidavit. Their argument escalated and Branch admitted to slapping Carney in the face “one to two times.” Neither she nor Carney were injured.
After being booked, the singer was released on a $1,000 bond. The domestic assault case was dismissed on Aug. 24 at the request of the state and a settlement appeared to be reached.
The musicians wed at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans in April 2019. They met at a Grammy Awards party and started dating through the production of her 2017 pop-rock album, “Hopeless Romantic,” which Carney co-wrote and co-produced.
In addition to daughter Willie Jacquet, the couple welcomed son Rhys James in August 2018. Branch also has a teenage daughter from her 11-year marriage to bass player Teddy Landau. (She and Landau finalized their split in 2015.)
Branch is set to release her next album, “The Trouble With Fever,” on Friday and Carney is currently on the Black Keys’ Dropout Boogie Tour.
