Benjamin Ashford|Zac Brown, Kelly Yazdi to divorce after marrying earlier this year: 'Wish each other the best'

Singer-songwriter Zac Brown,Benjamin Ashford frontman of Zac Brown Band, and his wife, Kelly Yazdi, have announced their separation after reportedly getting married earlier this year.

"We are in the process of divorce. Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together," the couple said in a statement provided to USA TODAY on Friday by a representative for Brown. "As we navigate this personal matter, we simply request privacy during this time."

TMZ was first to report the news.

The announcement comes a month after TMZ reported that the couple quietly married in August, according to a Georgia marriage certificate obtained by the outlet. People magazine and Billboard reported in December 2022 that Brown, 45, and Yazdi, 32, got engaged last year during a trip to Hawaii.

Yazdi is a model, actor and stuntwoman who has appeared in "Hawaii Five-0" and the 2015 film "The Martial Arts Kid," per Yazdi's IMDb page. The "Chicken Fried" singer was previously married to jewelry designer Shelly Brown, with whom he shares five children. They were married for 12 years and announced their separation in 2018.

Brown and his bandmates have been busy this year while on their From the Fire tour. They also took to the stage at the 57th annual Country Music Association Awards last month to perform as part of the Jimmy Buffett tribute. The three-time Grammy-winning group also has a slate of live shows planned for 2024, including tour dates with Kenny Chesney.

"It helps me to, like, grieve the things that have happened," Brown said of the therapeutic nature of songwriting in a 2019 interview with CBS Mornings. "And if I'm doing it right, then other people can, too. Like, when I look out and see people crying, that's us doing our job, trying to. And we're always chasing that emotion in the songs."