People.com published a shocking exclusive on March 22nd. Sara Evans has reportedly gotten back together with her husband, Jay Barker, after they filed for divorce in August 2021.
Sara says in the article that she knows “people are going to be mad” that she’s calling off her divorce. She’s also asking for the “benefit of the doubt” from fans and followers. She knows they’ll question why she’s reconciling with Jay after shocking incidents between them that People called a “difficult stretch” in their marriage.
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The strangest incident happened in January 2022, and it resulted in Jay getting arrested in Nashville. People.com reported the details on January 16th of that year. The article was titled, “Sara Evans’ Estranged Husband Jay Barker Arrested for Allegedly Attempting to Hit Her with His Car.”
According to the People write-up, Jay — referred to as a “former NFL player” — was placed on a “12-hour domestic violence hold at Davidson County Jail in Tennessee.” Jay’s arrest report stated that his bond was set at $10,000. He was released on bond after the 12-hour hold ended.
Jay Attempted to Have a Football Career
People described the “alleged incident” that happened on Norwood Drive in Nashville, the neighborhood where Sara lives. She was at a party in the area, and Sara was hitching “a ride with a friend” back to her house.
When they got to Sara’s driveway, People wrote that Sara “spotted Barker parked there.” That’s when this incident got dangerous.
Sara and her “friend” watched as Jay allegedly backed up “his vehicle at a high rate of speed attempting to hit them but missed.” Then Jay allegedly “fled.”Sara contacted the police, “who arrived on scene around 1:30 a.m.”
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People confirmed that Jay “eventually returned to the scene” and was “ultimately arrested.” Sara and her “witness informed police that they believed Barker was intentionally attempting to hit the car they were riding in.”
Prior to his arrest in January 2022, Jay was co-hosting a self-titled radio show on 100.9 FM. According to People, Jay had “attempted to make himself a career as a football player. Despite his efforts, [Jay] did not play a single NFL game in two years with the league.”
However, Jay played three seasons in the Canadian Football League followed by a year with the XFL.
Sara Will Be Releasing New Music
In a People.com article from March 21st, Sara claimed she and Jay are back together, and “we’re so happy now.”
Sara revealed the status of her marriage during the first episode of her podcast, Diving in Deep with Sara Evans. Here, she made a very candid confession.
Sara didn’t want anyone to think it’s okay to stay in a relationship “Where you are ever, in your gut, you know that you need to exit the situation.” According to Sara, “Every woman needs to follow her gut on that and do what is best for her. I believe, and I hope that I’ve done that.”
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In addition to her new podcast, Sara is releasing an album called Unbroke on June 7th. It will be her first new music in seven years. The single “Pride” is an emotional song for Sara because it describes her “difficult journey” with Jay from their “first separation to their eventual reconciliation.”
People talked with Sara about the music video for “Pride.” They wrote that “her calm, cool demeanor” cracked, and she teared up when she described what the song and video meant to her.
The song is “a searing ode to a woman’s strength and resilience in the face of a partner’s attempts at making her feel small.” People claimed it was “a page ripped from [Sara’s] diary.”
Jay Has Undergone Extensive Therapy
But Sara alleges that Jay is taking ownership of his past mistakes. She told People that Jay had watched the video with her “many, many times.” Sara then went on the defensive a bit.
She assumes that people will judge her and say, “Why do you feel sorry?” for Jay. Sara argues, “I know what he’s feeling,” and she claims that Jay is feeling shame.
But she also claims that Jay is “being brave and being like, ‘Yeah, that’s the truth. I did that.”
The People Exclusive also alleged that Sara’s daughter was involved in the “altercation” that led to his January 2022 arrest. Shockingly, Sara even confessed that she “lied to her children about being in contact with Barker” after they filed for divorce. Sara claims that was “the worst thing” she ever did.
But now, Sara alleges that Jay “has changed his ways, thanks to extensive therapy both individually and in marriage counseling,” and she’s just hoping that people will “hear her out.” Sara’s first marriage to Craig Schelske ended in a nasty public divorce, and when she married Jay on a Tennessee farm in 2008, People called it a “new beginning.” Sara’s three kids called him “Daddy Jay,” and hopefully, this family can enjoy a brighter future.
