Kellie Pickler wins legal victory over her late husband’s parents
Kellie Pickler has scored a major legal victory in her ongoing battle with her late husband Kyle Jacobs’ parents, successfully blocking a subpoena they issued as tensions over his estate continue to rise nearly two years after his death, RadarOnline.com reports.
Jacobs – a respected country songwriter – died by suicide in February 2023 at the age of 49. The couple was married for almost twelve years.
Following his death, Pickler and Jacobs’ parents, Reed and Sharon Jacobs, have been embroiled in a controversial dispute over personal property that the couple claims belonged to their son.
Kellie refused to serve as manager of the estate, leaving Reed and Sharon to oversee it. However, disagreements over which items belonged to Kyle have fueled a bitter legal battle.
At the center of the conflict is a detailed ‘List of Assets’ compiled by Reed and Sharon. It includes a wide range of assets that they tried to obtain through a subpoena. But on Tuesday, November 25, a Tennessee judge decisively sided with Kellie. quashing the summons and called it “unusual on its face,” according to court documents obtained by outlets.
“They are not papers for inspection or copying that can be readily delivered to counsel or transported to the location specified in the subpoena,” the judge’s order said. “Rather, they are numerous and, in some cases, large/heavy items of tangible personal property.”
The ruling also noted that Kellie raised concerns about whether transporting certain firearms included in the requested assets might be illegal.
“The court is unclear as to Reed and Sharon’s expectations regarding the subpoena,” the order continued. “It appears that (Reed and Sharon) may have expected that issuing the subpoena would result in (Kellie) simply handing over the requested items to them. Or, alternatively, they may have simply expected to have an opportunity to inspect or inventory the items.”
Because Reed and Sharon did not file any complaint or petition against Kellie, the judge ruled that they did not have the authority to issue the subpoena in the estate case. However, the ruling noted that they could take such action in a separate proceeding arising from Kellie’s petition against them.
The dispute became public late last year when court filings revealed the families were already feuding over Kyle’s personal property.
Kellie alleged that Reed and Sharon removed items from her home after their son’s death without providing an itemized list, prompting her to seek a court order forcing them to identify what had been taken.
The assets listed by the Jacobses include a significant gun collection — three rifles, seven handguns, a shotgun, a silencer and a gun safe — along with watches, jewelry, musical instruments, a collection of baseball cards and personal electronics such as Kyle’s work laptop and iPhone.
Reed and Sharon dispute Kellie’s story, arguing that she is violating a subpoena demanding the return of estates and insisting that their visit to her home was done with her permission.
The couple’s prenuptial agreement has also become a major issue, with the Jacobses requesting that the country singer’s petition be dismissed on those grounds.
Kellie obtained a protective order blocking public release of the transcript or video of her deposition while the dispute continued.
