EXCLUSIVE – Maren Morris ended her marriage to ‘heartbroken’ ex Ryan Hurd because she fell out of love with him – and wanted to find her ‘true self’ after ‘riding up and down’ with pandemic and motherhood

Maren Morris ended her marriage to Ryan Hurd in a bid to find her ‘true self’, an insider told DailyMail.com – with her shock decision leaving her ex-husband ‘heartbroken’.

The country singer, 33, filed for divorce from singer-songwriter Ryan, 36, on Oct. 2 after five years of marriage, citing “irreconcilable differences,” according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly.

Now, a source close to the singer has shed some light on the reasons behind the divorce, saying Maren’s personal struggles over the past few years played a key role in her decision.

Maren has endured an “up and down ride” in recent years after welcoming their only child, son Hayes, now three, via C-section during Covid, and subsequently being diagnosed with postpartum depression.

The singer has spoken candidly in the past about her struggles with the condition, revealing it led to an “identity crisis.”

“The last few years have been an up and down ride for Maren,” a source told DailyMail.com exclusively. “Maren is a brutally honest person towards herself and her career, and when others don’t share her advocacy or the way people should be treated, it really hurts her heart.

The country singer has been married to Ryan for five years, with whom she has a three-year-old son Hayes

The gorgeous couple got married in Nashville in March 2018 and welcomed their only child in March 2020

‘Covid has affected people in different ways. She had a child during that time, it was a difficult pregnancy, she was dealing with postpartum and her mental health, and it changed her routine with her music career, her touring, and her writing.

“As much as her relationship with Ryan grew stronger, it also became different because Maren changed into the woman she is today. She grew apart from Ryan, and in order to fully be her true self, she had to do it this way: focus on her well-being, her son, and her life.”

The insider claimed there was “no cheating, infidelity or anything like that,” adding, “They will continue to co-parent.” Maren thinks Ryan is a great father, but she is just not romantically in love with him anymore.

“She has lived a full life for 33 years and now she wants to go to a place where she can enjoy things on her terms.”

They claimed that Ryan is still very much in love with his wife and is struggling to get over the breakup.

‘Ryan still loves Maren and is not coping well with the divorce. He is devastated,” they said.

DailyMail.com has contacted representatives for Maren and Ryan for comment.

The pair met in 2014 after collaborating on Tim McGraw’s hit, Last Turn Home. They married in Nashville in March 2018 before welcoming Hayes in March 2020.

Maren filed for divorce on October 2, with reports claiming the now-estranged couple had a prenuptial agreement.

Ryan is said to be ‘heartbroken’ by the filing, according to insiders. The couple pictured at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival

Maren has spoken candidly about her struggle with postpartum depression after giving birth to her son via C-section

The singer, who has won five Academy of Country Music Awards, has yet to publicly discuss their split, but she did share a cryptic quote on Instagram last week.

It showed the partially crossed-out text ‘it will be okay’, next to the words: ‘It will be this way, and when the time comes, you will face what it takes.’

Maren has previously credited Ryan with helping her overcome postpartum depression – a condition that causes some new mothers to experience extreme sadness and despair.

“He just helped me in the form of songs, and in the form of conversations, to figure out how to get to the light,” she told TODAY’s Willie Geist in December.

Speaking about the pressure she felt at the time, she continued: ‘I think there was a lot of identity crisis there…

The couple first met when they collaborated on the 2014 Tim McGraw hit Last Turn Home

“Not just being a new parent and a new mother and dealing with postpartum depression for the first time, and reeling from it, and trying to find the forest for the trees. But also just knowing my worth, without anyone clapping for me.’

She also talked about how motherhood has inspired her to be more open about her own wants and needs, adding, “I think it’s become more since I’ve had my son that I’m really trying to make something that goes beyond than just music.’

Maren recently left the country music scene, claiming that the “hyper-masculine, quasi-patriotic” genre is being used as a “weapon in culture wars.”

“After the Trump years, people’s prejudices were on full display,” she told the LA Times. “They prided themselves on being misogynistic and racist and homophobic and transphobic. All these things were celebrated and it strangely aligned with this hyper-masculine branch of country music.”