HARDY and Caleigh Ryan attend the 56th Annual CMA Awards in November 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.Photo:Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
It was love at first sight for HARDY (born Michael Wilson Hardy) and his wife, Caleigh Ryan.
Their romance began on Instagram in 2018 when HARDY slid into Ryan’s DMs. They were living on opposite sides of the country at the time — HARDY was touring withFlorida Georgia Lineand Ryan was a student at the University of Mississippi. The pair didn’t officially meet face-to-face until he landed a gig at a theater near Ryan’s college, and they’ve been together ever since.
“I loved her after the third time that we ever hung out,” HARDY told PEOPLE ahead of the couple’swedding in October 2022. “It was the realest thing I had ever experienced.”
While her husband is known for being a genre-bending artist, Ryan told PEOPLE that she feels lucky to know the “softer side” of the famous musician.
“He is very caring and very thoughtful and a very loving person,” she said. “A lot of people don’t get to see that. It just makes it feel that much more special to me that I get to share those moments and sides of his personality with him.”
On March 7, Ryan and HARDY became parents for the first time when they welcomed their daughter,Rosie.
So, who is HARDY’s wife? Here’s everything to know about Caleigh Ryan and her relationship with the country singer.
Caleigh Ryan and HARDY pose for a picture together in 2018.HARDY Instagram
HARDY Instagram
HARDY first laid eyes on Ryan when she appeared on his “For You” page on Instagram, and he sent the San Diego native a private message.
The pair officially met when HARDY played a show at The Lyric Oxford, a local venue near the University of Mississippi campus. Ryan recalled that she “dragged” her roommates to go with her for moral support.
“I saw him come through the door and I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ I was just chugging my drink — I was so nervous,” she recalled. After the initial jitters passed, HARDY and Ryan became inseparable and began dating on April 19, 2018.
“Once we met each other, there really was no one else,” Ryan said. “We never entertained anyone else. It was just so easy.”
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan.Caleigh Ryan Instagram
Caleigh Ryan Instagram
Ryan graduated from the University of Mississippi with a degree in marketing and corporate relations in 2019.
When she first exchanged messages with HARDY, she was in her third year of school, and although they had brought up the possibility of marriage at the beginning of their relationship, her education was a priority. Ryan told PEOPLE that it was important that she finish school and establish her career before they walked down the aisle.
While in college, Ryan was a student ambassador for several brands, including Kellogg and A&E’s Lifetime, promoting events on campus. According toher LinkedIn profile, she is in the hospitality industry as a marketing coordinator for Graduate Hotels in Nashville.
Hardy and Caleigh Ryan attend the 57th Academy of Country Music Awards in March 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Denise Truscello/Getty
Denise Truscello/Getty
In a previous interview with PEOPLE, the country artist shared that his song “Boyfriend” originated when he and Ryan were vacationing in Clearwater, Florida. The two were in the pool being playful with each other when HARDY jokingly said, “‘‘Fine,I don’t want to be your boyfriend anymore.’ "
Though Ryan had a witty comeback, HARDY saw a musical opportunity. “She said something along the lines of, ‘It better be because you want to be my husband’ with a wink,” he recalled. “I looked at her, and instead of turning that into a really sweet moment, I said, ‘This is a great song!’ "
HARDY quickly got to work messing around with chords and writing the rest of the lyrics. When he finally played the finished song for Ryan, HARDY said she “loved it.”
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan on their wedding day in October 2022.Brooke Taelor
“We want the ceremony to be like 30 seconds long. We just want to have a big party for everybody,” HARDY exclusively told PEOPLE ahead of the big day.
He added, “I’m trying to avoid having a complete meltdown in front of everyone, and I don’t think I could get through vows at the altar, and she’s the same. The vows will be for us. It doesn’t have to be for everybody else.”
The party was flowing with A-list guests, one of the most important being singer-songwriter Smith Ahnquist, who married the couple. In addition to having a DJ and live band, the pair also had a tattoo booth where guests could get a love- or wedding-themed tattoo.
Their first dance as a married couple was to Journey’s “Faithfully,” which resonated with HARDY when they heard it on a road trip two months into dating. He revealed that he “got choked up” thinking about potentially struggling to balance his rising career and new relationship.
“There’s a line in ‘Faithfully’ that says, ‘They say that the road ain’t no place to start a family,’ and that line just shook me because I was so worried,” he said. “Now, years later, we’ve been able to balance all that stuff.”
“But that was just such a huge moment for me because how hard that line hit me assured me how much I loved her. I wanted to always make sure that she came before any of that,” HARDY added.
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan move into their first home together in Nashville.Caleigh Ryan Instagram
HARDY and Ryan moved into their first place together the summer before their wedding, settling in Nashville.
“AND THEY WERE ROOMMATES!!!!!” Ryan wroteon Instagram, alongside snaps of her and HARDY posing outside their new front door.
While the pair are “so over the moon” about the milestone, Ryan revealed onThe Spilloverpodcast that Music City may not necessarily be their forever home. As for relocating, Ryan said she wouldn’t mind moving to Florida.
“I don’t see us leaving anytime soon. We have our home and we love the city,” she shared. “It would take a lot for us to leave right now, but we aren’t opposed to it.”
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan attend the 2023 CMT Music Awards in Austin, Texas.Rick Kern/Getty
Rick Kern/Getty
While appearing onThe Spilloverpodcast, Ryan admitted that she could see herself joining Bravo’sThe Real Housewivesfranchise if it expanded to Nashville — though she is hesitant about how it would affect her personal life.
“I feel like it’s the kiss of death,” she said, who earlier in the interview described herself as a “Bravo freak.” Ryan noted that the show tends to “blow up” the lives of returning cast members if they’re “on long enough.”
When asked what type of housewife she would be, she channeled her inner Vicki Gunvalson for her response. “I would be the woo girl that would be my thing,” Ryan explained. “I’d be trying to get us on a party bus, going down Broadway everyday, and doing the pedal taverns.”
As for HARDY, Ryan believes he would be supportive. “He’d be into it,” she said. “I think he would think it’s hilarious.”
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan attend the 15th Annual Academy Of Country Music Honors in August 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee.Jason Kempin/Getty
Jason Kempin/Getty
In October 2023, HARDYshared via Instagramthat he was experiencing “serious anxiety” that caused “panic attacks” and led to him being hospitalized. The “Truck Bed” singer explained that it was a result ofthe serious tour bus crash he was involved inthe previous year.
In the following days, Ryan took to her Instagram Story to thank fans for their sweet words and unwavering support for HARDY’s health.
HARDY and Caleigh Ryan attend the 14th Annual Academy Of Country Music Honors in August 2021 in Nashville, Tennessee.Jason Kempin/Getty
While promoting his debut albumA Rock,in 2020, HARDY teased that his toughest critic also happens to be one of his biggest inspirations lyrically.
“We’ve been together for over two years, so now she’s my biggest critic,” he told PEOPLE about Ryan. “She’s not going to hold back, and she’s going to tell me if she loves it.”
Ryan has inspired several songs throughout HARDY’s career, including “i in country” and “wait in the truck” — not all of which are love songs.
Speaking withMusic Mayhem magazine, he admitted that “wait in the truck” is about a guy who made a pass at Ryan during one of HARDY’s shows and his reaction. “She told me about it and I got really fired up and I made a comment about wait in the truck.”
HARDY also shared why “i in country” reminds him of his wife.
“I think what the song preaches is that I know how to do a lot of things in this life, but what’s the point of doing that if I don’t get to share that with somebody?” he said. “And that’s sort of the message that it conveys and I really feel that way with her.”
Caleigh Ryan and HARDY in 2023.Taylor Hill/WireImage
Taylor Hill/WireImage
Ryan and HARDY welcomed their first child, daughter Rosie Ryan Hardy, on March 7, 2025. She weighed 9 pounds, 2 ounces at birth.
While speaking toCountry Nowin January 2025, the musician told the outlet that he and Ryan plan to tackle parenting “old school” — meaning no devices.
“[It’s easy] to give a kid an iPad. We are prepared to not let that happen,” HARDY said.
source: people.com