Trace Adkins's Wife Files for Divorce

Country star Trace Adkins is headed for divorce.

The 52-year-old singer's wife, Rhonda, filed for an end to their 16-year marriage on Monday in Franklin, Tennessee. Rhonda, who shares three school-age daughters with Trace — MacKenzie, Brianna, and Trinity — petitioned the court for primary custody of the girls, as well as child support and health insurance for them. She's also asked for health insurance for herself, alimony, and court costs, according to court documents. She cites "irreconcilable differences" as the cause.

The couple released a statement through Trace's rep on Thursday. "Trace and Rhonda are united in ensuring that their children's interests come first," they told Yahoo. "They thank everyone for respecting their privacy as they work through this personal matter together."

[Related: Trace Adkins: Out of Rehab, Back on the Stage]

Trace, who's also known for his turns on "Celebrity Apprentice," met Rhonda when he was still an up-and-coming singer without a record label going through his second divorce. She was a publicist working for Arista Records who became a friend.

"I was not planning to fall in love with Trace," she explained to country music blog The Boot in 2011. "A mutual friend of ours had me come out to hear him sing. The minute I saw him I knew that he would be a star."

Rhonda talked up Trace to her boss at the record label, but there was a slight hiccup. "I was so excited for him to meet the staff," she said. "Instead, we received a phone call that his wife had shot him through both lungs and both ventricles of his heart. I waited for about a week and then took some violets over to him. After that, I called him every few weeks just to check on him. I had no intention of ever dating him. It surprised both of us."

Later, it helped that the pair had been friendly first. "I think what makes a marriage work is marrying someone that is your friend," Rhonda shared. "We have weathered many storms together, but we have stayed strong."

[Related: Trace Adkins Goes to Rehab After Country Cruise Ship Scuffle With Impersonator]

The "You're Gonna Miss This" singer raved about his wife, too, particularly her influence on his career.

"She's my secret weapon," he told The Country Vibe blog in 2012. "It's almost unfair the advantage I have over all these other guys, having her in my corner. I don't do anything hardly in this business without talking to her first. I really don't."

Trace added, "I'd be foolish to not rely on her experience. She's been doing this stuff longer than I have. She's incredibly talented, and I've been the benefactor of that experience and that talent for years now."

Though they spoke well of each other publicly, the couple has gone through a lot privately as of late.

In January, Trace went to rehab for alcoholism after getting into a scuffle with a Trace Adkins impersonator on a country music-themed cruise he was performing on. He had been sober for a decade, following a 2002 intervention staged by Rhonda and his daughters.

Trace's rep did not immediately respond to Yahoo’s request for comment.

Check out Trace on the Smithsonian Channel's "Civil War 360."