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Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, has shockingly been dealt a divorce scandal like no other.
She has made a living by taking viewers inside her home and her life in rural Oklahoma via a wildly popular reality show.
Now, however?
We’ve learned some new information about Drummond’s life and, in the interest of creative segues, it’s pretty darn wild!
Pioneer Woman Divorce Update: The Affair News Shocking Fans
Before we get too deep, let’s just be clear: Rae Drummond is not getting a divorce. Or rather, she has made no official announcement that she’s getting a divorce. But we’ll talk more about that in a minute.
What’s causing all the divorce talk is a shocking report about the extended family. According to Radar Online, which obtained the stunning divorce documents, Drummond’s parents — Gerre and William Smith — legally split up in 1997 after 33 years of marriage.
Ok, people divorce all the time. Why care about something that happened so long ago? Well…
A source confirmed to this same outlet that the spouses filed for divorce because Drummond’s mother was allegedly having an affair — with the family’s church rector!
“It was at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Bartlesville,” the insider told Radar Online.
The rector’s name is Doug Schwert; he was also married back when he started sleeping with Drummond’s mother.
Shortly after the infidelity was exposed, the insider confirmed to Radar Online that Gerre divorced Smith and moved out of state to full-on marry Schwert.
The Drummond Affair: What Happened To Ree’s Parents?
The couple is still married to this day and reside right now in Signal Mountain, Tennessee.
As you might imagine, this anonymous insider went on, the illicit relationship became a huge topic of scandal and gossip around Drummond’s hometown of Bartlesville.
“Oh, they were a big family,” the source said of the Smiths in the 1990s. “Ree’s dad was a surgeon – I believe he still is – and Gerre was very well-liked and active in the community.”
Drummond was 28 years old and newly married when this affair took place.
According to court documents, meanwhile, Drummond’s dad did not want out of the marriage.
“The defendant desires to continue to live in a loving and supportive marriage with the plaintiff,” William Smith’s response stated via the papers Radar Online has since made public.
In the end, however, the divorce was finalized on March 7, 1997.
Ree Drummond’s Marriage: Is She Still Together With Ladd?
Is the Pioneer Woman headed for a divorce like her parents? Fans fear as much given her history, and whenever her guy, Ladd Drummond, is missing from her show or social media feed for any real length of time.
But the truth of the matter is, the romance between the Food Network star and her rancher husband seems to be going strong. In September 2023, the pair celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary.
Ree even shared the secret to their long marriage in her celebratory post on Instagram. Sharing a photo from a dinner date, she wrote:
“I ordered a burger with onion rings thinking I’d also have a couple of Ladd’s fries. Then Ladd ordered a burger with onion rings because he really wanted onion rings. Then I changed my order to fries because I wanted both fries and onion rings. Ladd said let’s both get fries and split a side of onion rings. And that’s why we’ve been married 27 years.”
Yep, food is the key to long-lasting love!
