Michael Ray Details Toxic Relationship — and Features a Carly Pearce Lookalike — in 'Get Her Back' Music Video

Michael Ray and Carly Pearce divorced in 2020 after less than a year of marriage

Michael Ray is working hard to clear his name in the mysterious death of an ex in the new music video for his single "Get Her Back."

The country singer, 34, shared the video for the song on Friday, and it quickly sparked buzz for several apparent references to his ex-wife, fellow country star Carly Pearce.

"Leave it to [director Spidey Smith] to find the edge and the mystery," Ray said in a statement. "He understands that place where you want to snap, but then you settle down and you just move on. To be able to find a way of showing how far you can stand from the fire — and still get burned, how you can do the right thing, which sometimes is nothing, and just keep moving? It's a tough line to walk, but he did. And for everyone who's ever been in a position of not wanting to look back, well, this clip's for you."

In the video for the song — which was written by Dallas Wilson, Jordan James, Lalo and Michael Tyler — Ray sits in a dark debriefing room with a detective as an ambulance leaves a house and an investigation into a crime scene begins.

The clip then flashes back to Ray in happier times with an ex who bears a striking resemblance to Pearce, from whom he split in June 2020 after less than a year of marriage.

Related:Michael Ray Can't Wait to Play Boots & Brews with Tim McGraw: 'I'm Like a Giddy 13-Year-Old Kid'

The couple is seen smiling and laughing together while wearing under-eye patches; in 2020, Pearce, 32, posted a photo to Facebook of her and Ray wearing similar patches while quarantining together.

The video continues to switch between the present, with Ray undergoing interrogation, and the past, during which the ex snaps selfies at a wine night with her friends and cuddles her dog.

Pearce is a self-proclaimed red wine lover (it's even in her Instagram bio), and also had a hit song called "Hide the Wine." The dog featured in the video is also similar to her Shih Tzu, June.

The music video eventually ends with Ray's ex calling him on the phone, then losing her footing while wearing high heels and hitting her head as she falls near a pool. The final scene shows Ray calling her as her phone rings unanswered.

Related:Michael Ray Keeps Learning and Growing on New EP Higher Education: 'I'm Not Perfect'

Fans on YouTube were quick to connect the dots, and many believe the track and video to be a response to his breakup with Pearce.

"It is SO obvious who this song is about and it's long overdue to tell your side of the story," one user wrote, while another added: "Love it..there's always two sides to a story."

RELATED VIDEO: Country Singers Jimmie Allen and Michael Ray Reveal How They Connected Before Touring Together

Pearce covered their split from her point of view on her 2021 album 29: Written in Stone, which included tracks like "What He Didn't Do" and "Should've Known Better."

Ray said in a statement that he was drawn to "Get Her Back" because of its clever lyrics, which frame "getting her back" as a form of revenge as opposed to a romantic reunion.

"I was raised on country songs that turn what you think on its head," he said in a statement. "You think you know what the song's all about, then you hear the hook - and it's something completely else… So when I heard this, the way it flipped the script twice, I knew I had to cut 'Get Her Back.'"

He continued: "It made me wonder, how could we do a video that has that same kind of 'think it's one thing, but it's actually something else' kind of appeal? It wouldn't be easy."

The song features on the "Whiskey and Rain" singer's upcoming EP Dive Bars & Broken Hearts, which is out June 23.

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