Kacey Musgraves' Dating History, from Cole Schafer to Ruston Kelly

As evident by her impressive music catalog, Kacey Musgraves has had plenty of love in her life to write songs about.

Since her debut album, the Grammy-winning singer has had a few romances in the spotlight, and some of those experiences have inspired music.

Most recently, Musgraves was in a relationship with writer Cole Schafer, whom she dated for two years following her divorce from country singer Ruston Kelly. 

Speaking with PEOPLE about her album Deeper Well, Musgraves noted her new music reflects her current state of mind on love and life in her 30s. 

"Ultimately, [Deeper Well] sums up where I'm at in my mid-30s and really evaluating what love means to me, what friendships mean to me, what are the things that I need, what is really serving me and not serving me," she tells PEOPLE. "It's [about] taking stock and making room for the things that actually do really matter."

Here’s a look back at Musgraves’ dating history. 

Misa Arriaga

One of Musgraves’ first public relationships was with Misa Arriaga, who previously played guitar in her band. The two had known each other for a few years before they started dating.

“We just kind of became best friends,” Musgraves told The Fader of her spark with Arriaga. “It was cool that we had a chance to really get to know each other before everything kind of got crazy.” 

Musgraves and Arriago went public with their romance in 2014 as they were photographed cuddling up together at the Academy Of Country Music Awards. A year later, they made their red carpet as a couple as they attended the CMA Awards in November 2015 (above), where they were photographed holding hands, and at the afterparty, they coordinated in cowboy hats.

The two split in the months following, and Musgraves began dating Ruston Kelly in early 2016. 

Ruston Kelly 

Following her split from Arriago, Musgraves recalled to HITS Daily Double that she was hesitant to get back in the dating game. However, that all changed when she met country singer Ruston Kelly. “It was the last thing I’d expected. I wasn’t gonna date,” Musgraves said. “I built walls I didn’t know I was building, and I was in a place I didn’t understand.”

After a fateful meeting at Nashville’s Bluebird Cafe in March 2016 (which inspired Musgraves’ hit love song “Butterflies") the two made plans to co-write together — and that songwriting session ended up being their first unofficial date. 

The couple got engaged on Christmas Eve 2016 and eventually tied the knot in Tennessee in  October 2017 during a woodsy wedding surrounded by their closest family and friends. 

During the course of their relationship, Musgraves and Kelly publicly supported each other's careers. Notably, Kelly was by Musgraves’ side as her album Golden Hour, largely inspired by their love story, took home album of the year at the 2019 Grammys Awards. 

In July 2020, Musgraves and Kelly announced they were getting divorced after two years of marriage, noting that they made the “painful decision together” after “a very long period of trying the best we can.” Their divorce was finalized in September 2020. 

In February 2021, Musgraves opened up about her split, noting that their marriage "just simply didn't work out."

"It's nothing more than that. It's two people who love each other so much, but for so many reasons, it just didn't work," she told Rolling Stone. "I mean, seasons change. Our season changed."

Gerald Onuoha

Following her divorce from Kelly, Musgraves was briefly linked to Dr. Gerald Onuhoa, a Nashville-based doctor. They first sparked dating rumors in April 2021 when they were spotted hugging in Los Angeles, in photos obtained by Page Six. 

Shortly after, Musgraves seemed to go Instagram official with Onuhoa by posting a selfie of them on her Instagram Story. However, their romance was short-lived: Musgraves was linked to Cole Schafer a few months later. 

Cole Schafer

In June 2021, Musgraves was linked to writer Cole Schafer when they were photographed holding hands around New York City. Musgraves later revealed that they first met in a restaurant when they happened to lock eyes, adding that Schafer didn’t know who she was initially, which she “loved.” 

In May 2022, Musgraves and Schafer made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala, sharing a kiss on the Met steps. Though they didn’t make many public appearances together, they shared several sweet moments on social media. 

After dating for two years, the couple split. At that time, Musgraves was recording her new album Deeper Well in N.Y.C. She opened up about their breakup during an interview with The Cut published in March 2024, noting that she doesn’t have any regrets. 

“Whenever I’m in a relationship, I’m all f---ing in,” she told the publication. “After divorce, it’s like: On one hand I do want to self-protect, but at the same time, if your heart is feeling open, I think you have to just show up for it. I’m still trying to figure out the balance of that.”