How Chris Daughtry and wife Deanna saved marriage despite infidelity and bisexuality
Chris Daughtry and his wife Deanna remembered their beloved daughter Hannah after she was tragically found dead in her Nashville home on Friday, November 12. The couple has been through several ups and downs together after being married for more than two decades.
Authorities reportedly said 25-year-old Hannah Price's death was a homicide, although it is yet to be confirmed. Her boyfriend Bobby Jolly, 25, was arrested Friday and booked into Fentress County Jail, although it's still unclear if he's a person of interest or a suspect in Price's demise. Both Chris and Deanna Daughtry posted emotional statements on social media in light of the tragedy.
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"I am still processing the last 24 hours. I am absolutely devastated and heartbroken. I just recently lost my mother to cancer but I was blessed with the chance to say goodbye and I was processing it privately," Chris Daughtry said in a statement. "We never got to say goodbye to our precious Hannah and it's another huge hit to our family. Thank you all for your kind words and condolences. They are truly felt and appreciated. I am now taking time to be present with my family as we attempt to heal from this devastating loss." He added, "Hannah, I love you. I miss you. I wish I could hold you. This hurts so deeply."
Meanwhile, his wife Deanna shared a plethora of pictures of her biological daughter, revealing the family was still awaiting autopsy results to determine the cause and manner of Price's death. "My firstborn. I love you endlessly Hannah. Our family would like to thank you all for the outpouring of love as we grieve the loss of our daughter Hannah. We are awaiting the autopsy results to determine how Hannah sustained the injuries that caused her death. Our hearts are broken," Deanna Daughtry wrote.
Chris and Deanna have endured lengthy trials in their marriage over the years, which was intensified by the latter's struggles with her sexual identity, as well as Chris' admitted unfaithfulness shortly after he rose to stardom.
However, the couple told People in 2019 how they always believed they were better together than apart. “I think we’ve been committed enough to learn as we go and realize that we’re still trying to figure it out,” Chris told the magazine. “It’s like the universe knew that we were going to help each other grow,” Deanna added, “and each of us was going to be exactly what the other needed.”
Deanna had remained in the closet for years, hiding her bisexuality from the world. However, she finally overcame her fears in 2015 as she embraced her sexual orientation. In fact, Chris' hit single 'As You Are' is based on his wife's struggle with her sexual identity. While Deanna had reached her inflection point, Chris dealt with his own identity crisis that rocked their marriage. However, the lovers prevailed.
When they met in 2000, Chris was picking up weekend club gigs as she sought to make ends meet as a vacuum cleaner salesman. Six years later, however, his powerful vocals made him an overnight rock star. He garnered a passionate fan base after finishing fourth on 'American Idol', following which is released a string of chart-topping hits, including 'Home' and 'Over You'.
But while his dreams materialized, Chris' dramatic lifestyle shift caused internal strife that he was unable to shake off immediately. “Honestly, I look back and I had no idea who I was," he told People, adding that relentless tours that put him on the road for months at a time also were “just a recipe for disaster on a relationship." Deanna was helpless as her husband eventually admitted that there had "been infidelity."
While he expressed remorse and "wanted to fix it," Deanna said the revelation only drove a deeper wedge between them. She only began healing once she stepped out of her pain and placed herself in her husband's shoes. “I knew it didn’t really have anything to do with me,” she told People. “It never does.” She said she realized “he was drowning in the stuff he was dealing with, and I was drowning in the stuff I was dealing with. We both had to learn to save ourselves.” Therapy was a godsend for Deanna, while Chris hired a counselor to help hold him accountable for his behavior on the road. Both fought hard to save the marriage and eventually made it through.
Chris commented on the pair surviving crises together, noting that's when “when real growth happens. That’s when real closeness happens. That’s when you can say, I love this person, not because it’s fun and new right now. I love this person because she just dealt with some real bulls — of mine that I’m dealing with myself, and she’s strong enough to stand by me and get through it with me, and hopefully, we come out stronger together. And we have." Meanwhile, Deanna expressed gratitude for her husband's transformation. “He has grown so, so much,” she said, “and he’s been an amazing support for me in my struggles in dealing with my sexuality.”
When asked how they made their marriage finally work, Chris said, "I think we’re on this perpetual journey together that we’re just trying to be the best version of ourselves. We’re trying to be more present and just enjoy where we are.” Deanna noted, “We are also not running from ourselves." Chris agreed, admitting that they both wanted to "grow together." He added, “I think we both are after the same goal, and that’s being our true selves with each other."