Lauren Reveals How She and Thomas Rhett Saved Their Marriage from Resentment

Thomas Rhett’s wife, Lauren Akins, shared insights into the challenges and triumphs of their marriage, revealing it wasn’t always as perfect as it seemed.

Thomas and Lauren’s connection goes way back to their teenage years. They first dated at 15, but as is often the case with young love, it didn’t work out. Nevertheless, they remained best friends. At 20, they had a decisive moment reminiscent of a romantic movie.

“I’d loved that girl since high school, and I told her father how I felt,” Thomas revealed to Hits Daily Double in 2019. “He said, ‘If you don’t tell her, I’m going to.’ So, I told her, ‘I just want to kiss you one time. If you don’t feel anything, we can go back to being friends.’”

Seven months later, Thomas proposed to Lauren, and within ten months, they were married.

For the first four years of their marriage, Thomas and Lauren enjoyed their time as newlyweds. Things changed when Lauren met Willa Gray during a mission trip in Uganda and decided to expand their family.

In a short film titled Lauren Akins – This Wasn’t The Plan, Lauren opened up about her difficult journey to motherhood, which created friction in their relationship.

While Thomas Rhett was on tour, Lauren endured a “grueling” 13-month adoption process by herself. During this period, she discovered she was pregnant with their daughter Ada—a surprise that brought its own challenges.

“I was getting sick and throwing up like 50-something times a day,” she recounted. “The entire time, I missed my husband and began to resent him because he was touring back in America.”

Thankfully, Lauren’s parents stepped in, helping to bring their new granddaughter home. But Lauren had barely any time to adjust. Just three months after Willa came home, Lauren went into labor with Ada.

“It felt like we went from zero to two kids overnight,” she remembered.

Their family joined Thomas on tour, but Lauren found herself overwhelmed with responsibilities. “His life went on, and mine felt like it stopped. We weren’t doing it together anymore,” she lamented.

Lauren further explained that miscommunication and lingering resentment had built up, leading her to a breaking point. “I didn’t like him, and I resented him,” she candidly admitted.

In a bid to save their marriage, the couple went through an “intensive counseling session” where they aired their grievances. “Some of it was hard to hear, but we got everything off our chests,” Lauren noted. “After that, we did a restart, and our marriage truly flourished.”

Thomas and Lauren successfully rekindled their love and went on to grow their family further, welcoming two more daughters, Lennon Love and Lillie Carolina.

This story’s featured image is by Ethan Miller/Getty Images.