Kenny Chesney Shares Rare Insight Into Relationship With Longtime Partner Mary Nolan
In his new memoir "Heart Life Music," Kenny Chesney offers a rare look into his relationship with Mary Nolan, who he was first romantically connected to in 2012. (Photo Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images for dcp)
Who Is Kenny Chesney’s Partner, Mary Nolan?
Kenny Chesney rarely shares much about his personal life or his romantic relationships, which is why few fans know about his longtime partner, Mary Nolan.
Not much is known about Nolan or how she and Chesney met. Us Weekly reports the couple was first publicly linked to one another in 2012.
They made a few public appearances in the years that followed. They attended the American Country Countdown Awards in 2014 and the ACM Awards the following year.
Nolan was also present when Chesney received the Pinnacle Award from the CMA in 2016. They were caught sharing a kiss in the crowd at one point.
Additionally, Chesney mentioned Nolan in the speech he delivered upon his induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame earlier this year. However, as he revealed in his new memoir, Heart Life Music, their relationship “shifted” some time ago.
Kenny Writes In His Memoir About His “Family” With Mary And Their Beloved Dogs
In Heart Life Music, Chesney wrote about Nolan while describing the “family” they formed with their two dogs, Poncho and Ruby. Chesney welcomed Poncho in 2011, and Nolan adopted Ruby shortly after.
“Suddenly, it was me, Ponch, Ruby, and Mary; we were a family,” Chesney said.
Somewhere down the line, Chesney and Nolan drifted apart. Despite that, they maintained ties so their dogs wouldn’t be separated from each other.
Chesney said, “They’d never been apart since they’d met. Whether we moved on or not, our dogs shouldn’t have to suffer…Even though we shifted, we would always share our dogs.”
He added, “It wasn’t that Poncho was mine and Ruby was Mary’s. They were best friends, and they were ‘ours.‘”
Although their romantic relationship seemed to have ended, Chesney and Nolan remained partners in caring for their dogs. When they got the devastating news that Ruby was “filled with tumors,” they made decisions for her care together.
“Love is powerful,” Chesney wrote in his book.”I trust Mary about all these kinds of things.”
Chesney and Nolan took Ruby and Poncho to California after learning about Ruby’s cancer diagnosis. She always loved the Pacific Ocean, and they wanted her to enjoy her final days by the beach.
“We were making the best of something that was going to trample our hearts,” Chesney said.
Ruby passed away in her sleep in late 2022 while she was snuggled up next to her best friend, Poncho.
During a recent conversation with Anderson Cooper on his All There Is podcast, Chesney was asked whether he would adopt another dog in the future. He told Cooper that it would be a joint decision he’d make with Nolan, saying, “Not yet, because Mary’s still grieving [Ruby’s death].”
Chesney shared more of Ruby’s story in an emotional short film he uploaded in December 2022. The video, titled The Story of Da Ruba Girl, features the sweetest photos from Ruby’s life, including several rare snapshots of Nolan. Watch that video below.
