Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney Halt Divorce to Work on Their Marriage
Michelle Branch and the Black Keys' Patrick Carney are putting their divorce proceedings on hold in an attempt reconcile, according to court documents reported by Pitchfork.
New documents reportedly show that the couple will halt proceedings for at least six months while they “participate in counseling services to effectuate reconciliation and/or may resume living together as husband and wife."
Rumors of the separation began circulating after Branch posted a quickly-deleted tweet accusing Carney of cheating. She then formally announced her split from Carney on Aug. 11 through a statement issued to TMZ.
"To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family," she said. "The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness."
Amidst news of the split, Branch was arrested for alleged domestic assault after she slapped Carney. She was taken into custody, but soon posted her $1,000 bail. Those charges have since been dropped.
Days after the arrest, the "Everywhere" singer filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences" and requesting custody of their two children, 3-year-old Rhys James and 7-month-old Willie Jacquet. She also asked for child support and that Carney pay their legal fees.
News of their reconciliation effort comes the same week as the release of Branch's new album, The Trouble With Fever, out Friday, Sept. 16. She shared with People this week that she'd promised Carney she would not talk about their relationship publicly, but their marriage seems to be looking up.
"I'm still living in it right now, and it's still changing by the hour," she says.