Kellie Pickler’s Husband Kyle Jacobs’ Autopsy Revealed

Autopsy results for acclaimed Nashville songwriter Kyle Jacobs — who wrote hits for a long list of country music’s top artists — confirm that he died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound when his wife, Kellie Pickler, and her assistant found him dead at the couple’s Nashville home on Feb. 17, as initial reports suggested.

Content warning: suicide

According to an analysis Taste of Country obtained that the Davidson Country Medical Examiner performed on Feb. 18, 49-year-old Jacobs died by an “intraoral shotgun wound.”

Metro Nashville Police told Variety and TMZ that Pickler and her assistant found Jacobs in an upstairs bedroom at the couple’s home in Nashville.

“Mr. Jacobs’ wife, Kellie Pickler, reported that she awoke a short time earlier, did not see her husband, and began looking for him,” the police statement read. “After she and her personal assistant were unable to open the door to the upstairs bedroom/office, the assistant telephoned 911.”

Jacobs’ toxicology results revealed no drugs in his system at the time of his death.

“Adult white male with a history of pseudoseizures, gastrointestinal bleeding, elevated liver enzymes, and chronic alcohol use suffered a self-inflicted shotgun wound,” his autopsy states.

According to Healthline.com, a pseudoseizure, or Psychogenic Nonepileptic Seizure (PNES), mimics the physical symptoms of an epileptic seizure, but is caused by underlying psychological conditions in most cases, though physical conditions including low blood sugar or fainting with jerking (convulsive syncope) can also trigger an event.

Kellie Pickler rose to fame as a contestant on American Idol in 2006, and she released her debut country album, Small Town Girl, later that year. She’s scored a string of country hits including “Red High Heels,” “I Wonder” and “Best Days of Your Life,” a duet with Taylor Swift. Pickler also co-hosted the talk show Pickler & Ben for two seasons, and she won Season 16 of Dancing With the Stars in 2013.

Pickler and Jacobs married in January of 2011. The couple starred together in a reality show, I Love Kellie Pickler, that ran on CMT for three seasons. Pickler accepted a job as a DJ on SiriusXM the Highway in 2022, but she departed that gig in late March of 2023. She has been silent on social media and has not commented publicly on Jacobs’ death.

Jacobs made his final post to social media on Feb. 15 to mark the success of Lee Brice‘s latest album, Hey World, which had been certified Platinum. Jacobs co-wrote several songs on the album, and he also co-produced the project, as well as playing acoustic guitar and singing background vocals.

Jacobs also wrote Garth Brooks‘ “More Than a Memory” and Eli Young Band‘s “Dust,” among many other songs.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1 800-273-TALK (8255).