No marriage is perfect, no matter how it might seem on social media. Country singer Thomas Rhett has been open in the past about the challenges he and his wife of 11 years, Lauren Akins , have faced—even writing a memoir about their experiences called Live in Love —and now he's sharing more about their partnership and how they make it work.
Ahead of the release of his new album, About a Woman , Rhett, 34, spoke to Us Weekly about how he and his wife "weather the storms" as a couple, revealing that they became famous "at arguably the hardest moment in our personal lives," when they were in the process of adopting their oldest child, daughter Willa Gray , from Uganda.
"Adopting [Willa Gray] and getting pregnant at the same time while having to be in Uganda for a year with me traveling back and forth was so challenging," Rhett said.
"I’d go to Uganda and be husband and dad, and then go to America and be like, 'OK, shows and music.' I was internally imploding, and so was Lauren. We’d both come to these breaking points [feeling like] something has to give. It was not a fun time in our marriage. Giving up was not an option. That thought has never crossed my mind or Lauren’s. With me being a fixer and Lauren being stubborn, we made it work."
Rhett said that talking about "how hard marriage can be" and "how hard it is to be a dad and raise children to be good people" is "one of [his] favorite things." In addition to Willa Gray, now 8, Rhett and Akins share Ada James , 6, Lennon Love , 4, and Lillie Carolina , 2.
"There are days that are easier than others and moments of pure joy, and there’s a lot of days that suck. I feel like I have some wisdom to share with younger people so they don’t make the same mistakes I did… At 26, it was nerve-racking to portray anything that was less than 'couple goals' on Instagram. Now there’s no pressure to pretend we’re [something] we’re not."
Related: Thomas Rhett's Wedding Anniversary Post to Lauren Akins Will Give You All the Feels
When asked what his biggest piece of relationship advice would be, Rhett said "complete honesty at all costs" is key.
"Darkness cannot live where the light is. As for younger artists trying to decide, 'Do I want to get married at 22? What will this do for my career?' If they’re your person, marry ’em and own it. Make that person your centerpiece because that’s your rock for the rest of your life."
Rhett paid tribute to his relationship with Akins in his new song, "What Could Go Right," which tells the story of the night when he first told her how he felt about her.
"We were 21 years old and we were on her parents’ front porch, and I was like, 'Hey, we’re either going to date or I can’t see your face for five years because I’ve been in love with you since I was 16'…It was the first time we kissed, and we got engaged six months later.”
As for whether or not the pair have plans to expand their family any further, Rhett said they're both "really happy with four…But it wouldn’t be shocking if a fifth [came along] in the next three or four years."
Next: Thomas Rhett Stops Show to Pray for Fan Involved In Medical Emergency
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