Breaking up is hard to do. Just ask Zac Brown and his ex, Kelly Yazdi.
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The couple was married for four months. Yazdi started out as a Social Media Manager at Brown's company. She was eventually promoted to Executive Vice President. Then, in December 2023, they made a joint statement that maintained the illusion that their decision to separate was mutual.
"We are in the process of divorce," the statement read. "Our mutual respect for one another remains. We wish each other the best and will always appreciate our time together. As we navigate this personal matter, we simply request privacy during this time."
In the months that followed, a lengthy legal battle ensued between Brown and Yazdi. Then last week, Yazdi's case regarding an Instagram post she uploaded received a huge boost.
What Happened Between Zac Brown and Kelly Yazdi?
In May 2024, Brown filed a restraining order against Yazdi over a post she made on Instagram that allegedly harmed his reputation.
The post doesn't mention Brown by name. However, its caption, which Yazdi calls a poem, could lead one to believe it's about him.
"The wildflower that willingly moved from her home in the name of love, not realizing the hands she trusted would plant her in a pot," she wrote. "The wild horse who once roamed free but chose to trust her partner, only to realize along their journey that his intention was to bridle her spirit. She was the butterfly caught in a net disguised as love; wings torn and abandoned in the darkest and coldest winter of her life. But she escaped from his golden handcuffs and rediscovered her wings - her freedom."
In the post, she also vaguely alleges that conditional love, gaslighting, projecting, and threats kept her in a cycle of abuse. She describes it as "unhealed trauma expressing itself [through] his need to tame."
Brown said in a statement: "After much deliberation, I took the steps necessary to enforce an agreement between us to maintain personal and business affairs in confidence and to protect my family from online harassment and speculation. My only hope is for us to keep private matters private and to move forward with the mutual respect we had agreed to show one another when we parted ways."
Things Got Worse for Yazdi
In a video made by Yazdi in August of 2024, she spoke up about what happened between her and Brown during their relationship. One of the most shocking revelations was that Brown asked Yazdi for a divorce over Zoom just nine days after the couple's wedding party.
Yazdi also refused to sign an NDA after the divorce filing. She was then fired by the singer's company. Following this, his lawyers attempted to enforce the Employee Agreement she had signed while working for Brown with a lawsuit. It contained a Confidentiality Agreement that attempted to prevent her from sharing information she had learned as an employee.
Brown alleges Yazdi violated her agreement by posting about the divorce on Instagram (which, again, doesn't mention Brown). The suit alleges she forwarded work emails to her personal account to use them in the divorce hearing. Yazdi was also accused of alluding to unreleased songs by Brown.
"I never wanted this to go public as all of this has been incredibly painful for me, but I will continue to stand up for myself," she said. "No matter what silly PR tactics they use to hurt me, I will continue to use my platform to share the truth.
What's the Update?
As far as relationships go, Brown was seen in May on the red carpet with jewelry designer Kendra Scott.
Then, last week, a court ruled that the restrictions in the Employee Agreement regarding confidential information were vague and overbroad. Additionally, it stated that the Confidentiality Agreement was unenforceable. It also restricted the definition of "Confidential Information." Whiskey Riff obtained a copy of the order.
It explained that even though Brown believed that anything Yazdi learned about him during their relationship was "confidential," his company couldn't claim that information learned about him and his band was private just because she also worked for him.
Additionally, Brown can't use the Confidentiality Agreement to prevent Yazdi from revealing anything about him.
Brown has yet to comment. Yazdi posted a video about the court's order.
"The judge made it very clear that celebrities do not get special treatment and that they are not above the law," she said. "This means Zac Brown is now 0 for 3: The TRO against me, denied. The preliminary injunction, withdrawn. His contracts, unenforceable as written.
"Zac's choice to drag me through lawsuits and use his PR machine to spin false narratives about me has only resulted in a loss after loss for him. But I know you guys know the saying, karma is a..."
The case is scheduled to go to trial on September 15 in a federal court in Georgia.
Photo by Derek White/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
