Country Star Taking a Break From Music, Announces Plans to Focus On Personal Life
Jake Worthington is shifting his focus.
On Friday, May 22, the country music singer/songwriter, 30, took to social media to announce his plans to take a temporary hiatus from music and the road. Worthington reasoned that he needed to spend more of his time prioritizing his personal life, which includes his wife, Sophie, and the couple's daughter, Whitley Anne.
"I live a life as my heroes did, but that life has gotten a hold of me," Worthington shared in a statement on Instagram, directing his message to his family, friends, and fan base.
"I love my family, my friends, and my fans too much to let it take over me," he wrote. "I need to take some time to work on myself for my wife and daughter."
At this point, it's unclear which scheduled shows will be affected. And, although Worthington shared that he will be stepping away from the spotlight for some time, he promised he doesn't plan on quitting music altogether. Instead, he hopes a break will prepare him for a strong return.
"I promise I will come back even better," he captioned, closing out his message with: "God bless Country Music. JW."
Fellow Country Artists Are Sharing Their Support
After sharing his vulnerable message online, Worthington quickly drew support from fans and friends, including other artists.
"La you bro!" Dierks Bentley wrote in the comments section of the post, while Jake Owen added, "I'm here for ya, buddy. You are stronger than most."
Caroline Munsick, the wife of country singer/songwriter Ian Munsick, added, "We love ya," while Hannah Dasher wrote, "Love yew buddy."
Who Is Jake Worthington?
Worthington first rose to fame on season 6 of NBC's The Voice, after auditioning for season 5. His second time around, he competed on Team Blake, where he became the runner-up, losing out to the winner, Josh Kaufman. Since coming off the reality competition series, Worthington has made his Grand Ole Opry debut, toured with major artists like Jon Pardi and Lainey Wilson, and released songs like "It Ain't the Whiskey," "Honky Tonk Talkin," and others.
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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 8:52 PM.