Darius Rucker is officially an engaged man after keeping his relationship under wraps.
The 59-year-old “Wagon Wheel” singer shared that he is engaged to Emily Deahl in a joint Instagram post shared on Wednesday.
“Thank you for showing me a level of happiness I have never known,” he wrote in the caption. “The day I met you I knew I didn’t want to go another one without you. Now I don’t have to.”
The Instagram post featured a black-and-white photo of the couple, showing Rucker kneeling on one knee from behind, as Deahl looks down at him with a big smile on her face.
They seem to be dressed casually, with Deahl wearing a black sweater and styling her hair in a ponytail.
Fans of the singer couldn’t help but congratulate the couple on their relationship milestone, with one writing, “Great to see 2 people find happiness. It’s so hard nowadays. Congrats!” Another fan wrote, “So incredibly happy for the both of you.”
“So happy for you! Having someone who’s truly in your corner and having that real love, there’s nothing like it! Congratulations,” another added.
Another photo showed the happy couple hugging after the engagement, with Rucker giving Deahl a kiss on the cheek as she smiled at the camera.
Deahl also celebrated the engagement on her Instagram stories, confirming her relationship with the former Hootie & the Blowfish frontman for the first time.
“I never intended on keeping this part of my life from you guys for so long, but somewhere along the way of loving him I discovered how sacred love is to me. And all I wanted to do was protect it,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “Damn I’m glad I don’t have to spend the time photoshopping him out of every photo now.”
Rucker only recently hinted he was in a relationship, posting a selfie of him and Deahl in Las Vegas on social media, captioning the post, “Wizard of Oz at @spherevegas with my love & my boys. 1000/10!!!!!”
The singer was previously married to Beth Leonard, for nearly 20 years, from 2000 to 2020.
Over the course of their marriage, the couple welcomed two children together, daughter Daniella, 24, and son Jack, 20. He also shared daughter Carolyn, 30, with his ex, Elizabeth Ann Phillips.
Following their split, Rucker spoke with People in October 2023, saying that while there were hard times, he and Leonard remain “close friends and parenting partners.”
“That stuff hurts and you feel like a failure,” he said. “But we’re still a family—a piece of paper is not going to change that. We’re still a family, and that’s all because Beth is awesome. She knows it’s the best for the kids, and she’s a great human being.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
