NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – JUNE 10: Thomas Rhett performs during day 2 of CMA Fest 2022 at Nissan Stadium on June 10, 2022 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)

Lauren Akins recently shared on the “Got It From My Momma” podcast that her husband, country star Thomas Rhett, was in the friend zone for a while before they started dating.

The couple met in first grade and remained friends throughout their childhood. After briefly dating in high school, Akins kept Rhett in the friend zone for about five years before they eventually got engaged.

“I had the moment where I kissed the guy who I thought we were just friends, and he dared me to kiss him and I love to, you know, really show up for a good dare… and so, we kissed, and it was like my world that I knew all of a sudden just went upside down, and it was like, you thought you knew and you don’t. And then we were engaged later that year.”

They now have four daughters, and Rhett is gearing up to release his seventh studio album, About a Woman, later this summer. Rhett will also perform at the September 2024 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas.