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At 82, Jessi Colter Finally Tells The Truth About Waylon Jennings
At the age of 82, country music legend Jessi Colter has finally opened up about the raw, unfiltered truth behind her iconic love story with the late Waylon Jennings — a story filled with passion, pain, loyalty, and survival.
Jessi Colter, a powerhouse in her own right and the only female member of the original outlaw country movement, was married to Waylon Jennings for over three decades. Their relationship was legendary, not just for its longevity in an industry known for broken marriages, but for surviving Waylon’s turbulent lifestyle — one that included addiction, fame, and rebellion.
In a recent intimate interview, Colter spoke candidly about the man behind the outlaw image. “Waylon was wild, no doubt about it,” she said, “but he had a tenderness that most people never saw. That’s the part I held onto during the darkest times.”
Colter didn’t shy away from addressing the hardships. She revealed that Waylon’s cocaine addiction nearly destroyed their marriage in the 1980s. “There were times I didn’t think we’d make it,” she admitted. “He was disappearing into that world, and I had to make the decision — do I stay, or do I save myself?” She chose to stay — and not just stay, but fight. Jessi credits her faith and her love for their son, Shooter Jennings, as the anchors that held her in place.
For years, fans speculated how she endured so much. Colter now answers that question with clarity: “Because I saw the man he was behind closed doors. He’d come home after a tour, exhausted and hollow, and he’d just hold me like I was the only solid thing left in his life. That’s the Waylon I knew — not the man onstage, but the broken boy inside.”
One of the most powerful revelations in her recent reflection is her belief that Waylon was haunted by guilt. “He was a good man who made bad choices. And he knew it,” she said. “He wasn’t proud of how much he hurt people — especially me. But he tried to make it right in the end.”
Jessi also shared what many consider her most painful confession — that she almost left him for good in 1984. “I had my bags packed. Shooter was in the car. And Waylon… he fell to his knees in the driveway and cried like a child. That was the moment he started to change.”
Waylon Jennings died in 2002, but Jessi Colter still speaks of him with a bittersweet affection. “He gave me hell, but he also gave me a love that was fierce and unforgettable. I don’t regret a single day.”
Now, at 82, Jessi’s truth is not just a story about a marriage. It’s a story of survival, of loving someone through the storm, and of holding on to grace when the world tells you to let go.
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