ABC "American Idol"
Fans are rallying around “American Idol” judge Luke Bryan’s wife, Caroline Bryan, after she revealed that she had to undergo an unexpected surgery in November 2022.
“Well… unexpected hip surgery…. but I got the best care and surrounded by the most selfless friends ever!” she wrote on Instagram on November 13, 2022, alongside a photo of herself in a hospital bed giving the camera a thumbs up and a video of her sitting down while friends helped her out.
During the video, a friend showed off a shirt that reads, “Straight Outta Hip Surgery,” and Caroline tagged the Bone and Joint Institute of Franklin, Tennessee.
Fans were quick to rally around Caroline, 42, and send her well-wishes after her surgery.
Fans Are Hoping for a Speedy Recovery for Bryan
Fans are sending good thoughts to Caroline.
“Oh man – what were u and Luke doing ?! Lol just kidding. Prayers for a speedy recovery,” one person commented.
Another person wrote, “Wishing you a speedy recovery! I just had hip arthroscopy on my left hip in September and my right hip 2 weeks ago. Still recovering.”
Many others encouraged her to go through her physical therapy and heal up quickly while others wondered what happened.
“Oh my goodness Caroline!! You always do the unexpected but this tops it! Get better soon, we need Prankmas!” one comment reads.
Luke and Caroline are known for pranking one another, as Caroline famously did on season 20 of “American Idol” when she disguised herself as a stagehand who couldn’t stop eating and making disturbances during filming. The video has over 4.2 million views on YouTube.
Caroline & Luke Have Known Each Other Since College
Luke and his wife, Caroline Bryan, met and dated while in college, but then they broke up for a few years before giving their relationship another shot.
According to Country Fancast, both attended Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia. It was there, in 1998, that their paths crossed at a local bar called Dingus Magee’s. Luke was a senior at the time and Caroline was a freshman.
Luke later told The Boot that he knew they’d spend the rest of their lives together, even after a five-and-a-half-year separation.
“It took me eight seconds to figure it out. And, it took her about eight years to figure it out,” he told the outlet. “I had a lot to drink before I could go talk to her, but I did. Somehow I managed to ease over there and somewhat be charming. It was one of those situations for me, it was like “Who is that and how do I go talk to her? And, yep, I’m going to marry that girl.”
Bryan proposed to Caroline in front of the Nashville Parthenon, and the two got married on December 8, 2006, in Turks & Caicos. They spent their honeymoon in the Colorado mountains.
They share sons Bo, 14, Tate, 12, and their 21-year-old nephew Til.
In July 2021, Luke told People that he and his wife “have a ball in life.”
“[Caroline] has always been the one that really isn’t drinking all of my Kool-Aid. When I’m getting shined up, she kind of pulls the reins back. She keeps it real,” he told People.
“American Idol” returns for season 21 in February 2022.