Kellie Pickler‘s legal fight with her former in-laws just heated up.
According to In Touch, Pickler’s former mother-in-law and father-in-law, Sharon and Reed Jacobs, have asked a judge to find the country star and television personality in contempt of court because they claim she has “failed to relinquish possession of estate property” after they served a subpoena in April of 2024.
Pickler’s husband, celebrated Nashville songwriter Kyle Jacobs, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 49 in 2023, and following his shocking death, Pickler declined to serve as administrator of his estate, so his parents stepped in to serve as co-administrators.
The 38-year-old country singer ended up filing suit against them after she claimed they “entered [her] home and obtained items of personal property after [Kyle’s] death” without her permission.
Jacobs’ parents are demanding that Pickler turn over property that they claim belongs “indisputably to the estate.” In Touch reports that they are referring to Jacobs’ gun collection in the legal filing.
Their legal complaint alleges that Pickler has failed to comply: “Despite this court’s subpoena, and [Kellie’s] own admission that she has failed to relinquish possession of estate property, her admission that she is withholding estate property and despite numerous informal attempts to obtain the withheld property before and after [Kellie’s] failure to comply with the [subpoena].”
Pickler’s lawyer hit back at the filing, arguing, “There is simply no basis to support a contempt petition” in the case.
Pickler’s initial filing in November of 2024 alleged that the Jacobs sent Pickler a subpoena via the probate estate, demanding that she turn over a “list of assets” that includes three rifles, seven pistols and one shotgun.
The list also included Jacobs’ Samurai sword, a Rolex watch, a Garmin watch, a 1957 J45 Gibson guitar, a McPherson KOA Guitar, a plastic bin of baseball card albums, school awards, a Steinway Grand Model M piano and a viola, according to court documents In Touch obtained.
His parents also asked for his work laptop, iPhone and hard drives.
Pickler’s petition added, “Included in the List of Assets are items that [Pickler] either does not have in her possession or over which right, title and possession are disputed.”
Pickler’s filing also claimed that her former in-laws had not provided her with a list of items they took from her home after her husband’s death, and she asked for a complete list of those items.
The Jacobs acknowledged that they did remove some items from Pickler’s home, but they alleged it was “at the express invitation of [Kellie] and her counsel whom they met to discuss the transfer of items belonging to the estate.”
They claimed they only removed items from the garage that Pickler had set aside for them, so they do not need to list those items, since she already knew what they were.
It’s not clear when the legal dispute will head to court.
Pickler has mostly remained out of the spotlight since her husband’s death, but she returned to the stage in April of 2024, performing “The Woman I Am” as part of a Patsy Cline tribute concert at Nashville’s iconic Ryman Auditorium.
Pickler has also sold the house where her husband took his life and moved to a condo in downtown Nashville.
Kellie Pickler returned to the stage for the first time since her husband Kyle Jacobs’ death at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on Monday night (April 22), performing as part of a tribute to Patsy Cline.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Kellie Pickler has sold the $2.3 million estate where she lived with her late husband, songwriter Kyle Jacobs, and pictures show a luxurious residence that’s a perfect mix of cozy and elegant.
Gallery Credit: Sterling Whitaker
Take a look back at some of the best cuts from singer-songwriter Kyle Jacobs’ country music songbook.