If you’ve ever walked into a dive bar or a wedding reception and heard "Friends in Low Places" blaring through the speakers, you know that Garth Brooks is more than just a singer. He’s a force of nature. But for all the records he’s smashed and the stadiums he’s sold out, the question that keeps fans clicking is simple: who is Garth Brooks married to?
The short answer? He is married to Trisha Yearwood.
They aren’t just a couple; they are essentially the reigning royalty of Nashville. Honestly, if you follow country music even a little bit, you’ve probably seen them on a red carpet looking like they’re still in the honeymoon phase, even though they’ve been together for decades. But the "how they got there" is actually way more interesting than just a wedding date. It involves a massive $125 million divorce, a 20-year friendship, and a promise made in a recording studio before either of them had a dime to their name.
The Trisha Yearwood Era: A Match Decades in the Making
Garth and Trisha officially tied the knot on December 10, 2005. They just recently celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in late 2025, which, in "celebrity years," is basically a century.
They got married in a very private ceremony at their home in Owasso, Oklahoma. It wasn’t some giant, televised spectacle. It was just them and family. Brooks famously told the press at the time that it was the "perfect Christmas gift" to each other.
What’s wild is that they met all the way back in 1987. They were both unsigned artists at the time, just two kids trying to make it in Nashville. They were recording a demo at songwriter Kent Blazy's attic studio. Garth reportedly walked away from that meeting feeling like he’d just met his wife, but there was one big problem: he was already married to his college sweetheart, Sandy Mahl. Trisha was also married to her first husband, Christopher Latham.
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So, they waited. For nearly 20 years, they were just best friends and frequent collaborators.
Before Trisha: The $125 Million Divorce from Sandy Mahl
Before the world knew Garth and Trisha as a duo, there was Sandy Mahl. They met at Oklahoma State University in a way that sounds like a country song. Garth was working as a bouncer at a bar called Tumbleweed Tap Room. A fight broke out in the ladies' room, and one of the women involved—Sandy—got her fist stuck in the wood paneling of the wall. Garth had to help her out.
They married in 1986 and had three daughters together: Taylor, August, and Allie.
As Garth’s career exploded in the 90s, the marriage buckled under the weight of his fame. He was on the road for months at a time. In the 2019 documentary Garth Brooks: The Road I’m On, Sandy was incredibly candid about how they basically grew apart because he was never home. When they finally divorced in 2001, it was one of the most expensive settlements in music history—Sandy reportedly received $125 million.
The cool thing? They are actually on great terms now. Garth has even praised her for being "phenomenal" in how they co-parented their girls.
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What Trisha Yearwood Brings to the Table
To call Trisha Yearwood just "Garth's wife" is kinda doing her a disservice. She is a powerhouse on her own. You’ve probably heard her breakout hit "She’s in Love with the Boy," which made her the first female country singer to sell a million copies of a debut album.
She’s a three-time Grammy winner and has basically built a lifestyle empire. If you turn on the Food Network, you’ll likely see Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. She’s written several New York Times bestselling cookbooks, like Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.
When she married Garth, she didn't just become a wife; she became a "bonus mom" to his three daughters. She’s often talked about how she made a conscious effort to stop touring 200 days a year so she could actually be present for soccer games and family dinners. She basically learned from the mistakes of their past marriages that if you aren't together, it isn't going to work.
The Secret to Their Longevity
So, why has this marriage lasted while so many other celebrity pairings crash and burn?
- The "Together" Rule: They made a pact early on to rarely be apart. If he’s touring, she’s usually there. If she’s doing an event, he’s often in the wings.
- Friendship First: Because they were friends for almost 20 years before they started dating, they skipped the "pretending to be someone else" phase.
- Mutual Respect: Garth refers to her as "The Queen" or "the love of my life" in almost every interview. He’s her biggest cheerleader, and she’s his.
Surprising Details Most Fans Miss
Most people think they just started dating the second Garth got divorced. Not true. Garth’s divorce was final in 2001. They didn't make their first public appearance as a couple until 2002 at the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
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And that proposal? It was legendary. It happened in May 2005 at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace in Bakersfield, California. In front of 7,000 fans, Garth dropped to one knee. Trisha was genuinely shocked.
Interestingly, Trisha was married twice before Garth—first to Christopher Latham (1987–1991) and then to Robert Reynolds of the band The Mavericks (1994–1999). It seems like both of them had to go through a few "practice runs" before finding the right fit with each other.
Wrapping It Up: What This Means for Fans
Understanding who Garth Brooks is married to gives you a better look at the man himself. He’s a guy who walked away from his career at his absolute peak in 2000 just to go home and be a dad, and he eventually found a partner who valued family just as much as he did.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into their world, there are a few things you can do. You can check out their collaborative album, Christmas Together, or watch the Road I'm On documentary to see the interviews with both Trisha and Sandy. It’s a rare look at a celebrity family that actually seems to have figured out the balance between the spotlight and real life.
Keep an eye on the Food Network for Trisha’s latest recipes—Garth even has a few of his own favorites in her cookbooks, like "Garth's Breakfast Bowl." Whether they’re on stage at the Ryman or cooking in their kitchen in Oklahoma, they seem to have proven that you can actually find "the one," even if it takes twenty years of being "just friends" to get there.