Thomas Rhett Opens Up About the Moment That Led Him and Wife Lauren Akins to Seek Marriage Counseling
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins
Thomas Rhett is getting candid about his marriage to Lauren Akins.
The country star, 30, opened up about his relationship with his wife of seven years during an interview with The Bobby Bones Show on Friday, sharing that the couple sought marriage counseling after a particularly "hard" moment in their lives.
While speaking about Akins' recently released memoir, Live in Love, Rhett admitted that the book had "parts where I wish I wasn’t made out to look like such a jerk."
"There were certain parts in our marriage where I was a bit jerky, especially through the adoption — not that any of this was my fault," Rhett said.
RELATED: Thomas Rhett Calls Wife Lauren Akins His 'Hero' After Newborn Lennon Spit Up All Over Her
The "Die a Happy Man" singer went on to explain that the couple experienced some difficulties during the adoption process for their daughter Willa Gray, now 4½. At the time, Rhett was touring in the United States and Akins — who was then pregnant with Ada James, now 3 — was visiting Uganda.
"Lauren called me because it was 9 o'clock in the morning in Uganda and ... she hears all of her friends in the background. Meanwhile, Lauren is seven months pregnant and throwing up in a bathroom in Uganda," he recalled. "That was when Lauren was like, 'We are living two completely separate lives right now.' "
"That was a really humbling experience for me, just knowing what she was dealing with in a sense of aloneness while I'm kind of living life as usual," Rhett continued. "That part was really hard for us, for sure. Kind of getting over that and going through some therapy, especially over that one night."
Erika Goldring/WireImage Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins
RELATED: Kelly Clarkson Cries as Thomas Rhett and Wife Lauren Recall Daughter Willa Gray's Adoption
"Coming on the other side of that, I feel like I learned so much from that experience. It made me know that, in a marriage, you do have to figure stuff out. You have to talk about it. You've gotta be real about it. You've gotta be honest about it."
The father of three, who also shares 6-month-old daughter Lennon Love with Akins, added that he hopes their love story will help inspire others.
"Hopefully, there's somebody else reading that chapter going, 'Man, I've been in that same position. If they can work it out, we can work it out too,' " he said.
RELATED VIDEO: Lauren Akins Shares Sweet Moment She Read Passages From New Book to Thomas Rhett
Exclusive: Lauren Akins Shares Sweet Moment She Read Passages From New Book to Thomas Rhett
Thomas is Lauren's "number one fan" and "is just as excited" as she is to get 'Live in Love' out
In Live in Love, Akins detailed the strain that was put on her marriage as her husband's country music career took off in 2013 while she put her own dreams of being a nurse on hold.
Last month, Akins opened up seeking marriage counseling with Rhett, telling PEOPLE that it continues to help the couple even to this day.
"We still are staying in close contact with our counselor, Beth," she said. "COVID has changed things a little bit, but if we ever feel like there's something we need to talk through with a third party, or even just to touch base and check in, we're texting or calling Beth. It's something that we still say is crucial to a marriage, some form of counseling or third party. It's just a place where you can learn more about yourself and learn more about your spouse and really learn how to communicate better and clearer. It's been so, so good. We just really love it."
