Carly Pearce says heart condition left her fearing a heart attack: ‘Is my heart OK?’
Carly Pearce reveals her worst fear after being diagnosed with recurrent pericarditis, sharing how she manages anxiety about her chronic heart condition.
Country music star Carly Pearce opened up about her worst fear after she was diagnosed with a chronic heart condition.
In 2024, Pearce, 36, learned that she had recurrent pericarditis, a condition that causes inflammation of the tissue surrounding the heart. The "Every Little Thing" singer previously shared that she has experienced repeated episodes of chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue since 2020.
During an interview with Fox News Digital at her annual "Carly's Closet" fundraiser, Pearce shared the biggest emotional challenge that she has faced following her diagnosis.
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"I think just when you have any kind of diagnosis, I think it can be scary and give you anxiety about, 'Is it going to happen again? Am I OK?' For me, it was 'Oh my gosh, is my heart OK? Am I going to have a heart attack?'" Pearce said.
Pearce spoke with Fox News Digital at her annual charity pop-up "Carly's Closet," which is held during CMA Fest in Nashville, Tennessee. At the fundraiser, fans can shop items from the singer's personal wardrobe and Pearce donates the proceeds to the CMA Foundation, which supports music education initiatives.
Pearce went on to explain how she has avoided spiraling over worst-case scenarios while living with pericarditis.
"Just kind of making sure that you're educating yourself to know that those things are not going to happen," she said.
The Grammy Award winner also advised others not to rely on online medical searches if they receive frightening medical diagnoses.
"Don't get on chatGPT or WedMD," Pearce warned.
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During a February appearance on Rolling Stone's "Nashville Now," Pearce urged her fans to seek medical attention quickly if health issues arise.
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"That was something I developed in 2020 and didn't know what it was for a really long time. It was kind of misdiagnosed, also dismissed," Pearce explained.
"'Oh, you have anxiety. Oh, you have a busy schedule,'" Pearce recalled being told by doctors. "And it's like, 'No, something's not right.' And, so, in 2024, I went public with that just because it took me out for a second. But I'm doing really well. And I haven't had any kind of major flare. But I think, again, just trying to be honest with people and use my platform to be like, ‘Please go get checked because there was something wrong.’"
After announcing her diagnosis in May 2024, Pearce recalled facing skepticism about her symptoms early on and said she persisted until doctors determined the source of her health issues.
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"My biggest piece of advice for anybody is: Listen to your body, and be your own advocate. … A lot of doctors dismissed me, and I was persistent until I got a diagnosis," she said at the time.
During her recent interview with Fox News Digital, Pearce explained that she has learned how to live with her condition and shared a positive update on her health.
"I'm doing really well right now," she said. "I feel like I've been in a really good place with my health and feel like I have plan for if I have a flare for recurrent pericarditis. I'm well-equipped and educated at this point to be able to know what to do."
When asked if managing her condition had changed her approach to touring and performing, Pearce shared that it had actually taught a valuable lesson about health.
"I think it's probably changed more of my exercise routine," she said. "I don't need to turn the treadmill up to 12, or I don't need to look over and try to outwork out every single person in a class. I think not running as hard or all of those things."
"Just taking care of my body and listening to my body instead of thinking that it always needs to be on 10," Pearce added.
Pearce has previously said that her condition forced her to scale back the intensity of her live performances, though she remained committed to touring and fulfilling scheduled shows. The singer is currently working on her upcoming fifth studio album, which follows 2024's "Hummingbird."
She has already released singles that will be included on her forthcoming record, including "Dream Come True," "Church Girl," "You Can Have Him" and her duet with Riley Green, "If I Don't Leave, I'm Gonna Stay,"
While speaking with Fox News Digital, Pearce reflected on her 2021 album "29: Written in Stone," which was inspired by difficult events she experienced during her 29th, including her divorce from fellow country singer Michael Ray and the death of her longtime producer and mentor, Busbee.
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In October 2019, Pearce married Ray, but she filed for divorce just eight months later in June 2020. Pearce has previously described that period as one of the hardest in her life and admitted to feeling shame around her divorce.
Busbee, born Michael James Ryan Busbee, died in September 2019 at age 43 following a battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Pearce has said Busbee's death left both a personal and professional void, forcing her to navigate her career without the producer who helped launch it. She later credited his mentorship with giving her the confidence to find her own voice and create "29."
The album marked a major turning point in Pearce's career, reaching number 9 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart and number 32 on the Billboard 200 chart.
"29" also produced some of her biggest hits, including her collaboration with Ashley McBride titled "Never Wanted to Be That Girl," which topped the Billboard Country Airplay chart, won Country Music Association (CMA) honors and later earned a Grammy Award.
The record received album of the year nominations from both the CMA Awards and Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards and led to her induction into the Grand Ole Opry.
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Looking back, Pearce told Fox News Digital that she was "in a much better place than when I wrote '29,' but so many wonderful things have come from '29.'"
"So I'm very grateful [but] I don't wanna go back to '29' ever again," she added.
Pearce also shared what fans can expect from her upcoming album, which she previously told Fox News Digital will be a return to her Kentucky and Appalachian bluegrass roots.
"It's the most honest music I've ever made," she said. "I think I'm really celebrating being a woman and loving where I'm at in life and kind of returning to the only thing that I can control, which is the music, and sharing more than I ever have of who I am."
During her interview, Pearce explained why she continues to hold the fundraiser every year after first launching it in 2022.
"Well, I keep having a lot of clothes and I keep feeling like it's important to fans," she said. "And every year, throughout the year, I look out in the crowd, and I'm looking, and they're looking back at me, and I am like, 'Oh that's a Carly's Closet item,'" she shared.
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"And it just seems like people really enjoy it, and it brings such a joy to me to be able to raise money for the CMA Foundation and also give the next phase of life to these clothes that are so pretty and deserve another moment," Pearce added.
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The "Hide the Wine" hitmaker admitted that she has occasionally found it difficult to part with a few items.
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"Some of them I'm really happy to get rid of and others, I have to be honest, like there was a few things in here that they've been in my closet for about six years, and they were just sentimental to me, but they're gone, they're out," she said.
"There are things that are very, very sentimental to me that I'll never get rid of," she continued. "But all of these things have a story."
"Like I got to sing with Rascal Flatts and wear that outfit last year in the stadium and that's such a great memory," Pearce said as she gestured to one shopping rack.
"Or I wore this on a red carpet. I wore on a red carpet," she added while pointing at another. "All of this, it's like [the 2005 movie] 'The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.' I know I say it, but like every item has a story and I think that's what makes it special and people get to make their own memories now and then."
