I read a lot of fiction novels, and lately I’ve noticed a pattern: dead husbands. Men who are brought down (physically, or socially and financially) by an underestimated woman. This isn’t new, of course. Some of the biggest books of the decade have centered around a woman who gains power - sometimes out of want, sometimes out of necessity - over a man who has wronged her.
Staci Felker, do you know her? You might not by name, but you know her story. Staci’s husband, Evan Felker, reportedly ghosted her for Miranda Lambert. And even if this didn’t involve a celebrity, we’d still recognize all of the elements of this little play. A loyal wife. The tempted husband. The other woman.
As Lainey has written, Miranda doesn’t shy away from being the Disney villain. Her career and image don’t suffer when she is embroiled in this kind of gossip (which has happened before) and that puts her in a unique position. But this story might have a few extra chapters because Staci Felker, the wronged wife, the one who saw her husband go off to play a few dates with Miranda Lambert and then never laid eyes on him again, is obviously the one many will sympathize with. And Staci is leaning into that. She has shared updates on her marriage, like how Evan contacted her after seeing her living her life on Instagram, then ghosted her AGAIN when she got sick.
The latest allegation come courtesy of Staci’s Instagram; she said that Miranda’s has been power calling her after finding out that Evan reached out to her. There’s no way of knowing if these unknown numbers are actually Miranda, but let’s say they are. Let’s say that Evan and Miranda are having issues over his wife, and his wife in turn gets to air that sh-t out on Instagram. It’s dirty gossip, right? So dirty and petty and delicious.
If you are cheering for Staci, you want Evan (and maybe Miranda) to eat sh-t. You want the new couple to publicly feel the burn. And by posting this, Staci makes Miranda look bothered. Miranda is supposed to be the cool chick who pounds beers and doesn’t give a f-ck, not the frantic girlfriend. This makes Miranda look desperate, and that is not at all in line with her bad girl image.
It also puts Miranda in an impossible position because acknowledging Staci would mean acknowledging that Evan was (still is?) married. Working through that in music is one thing, but engaging on social media or in the tabloids is another. It will not look good if Miranda the celebrity comes out against Staci the everyday gal.
If Staci was your friend, would you be high-fiving her for posting this? I have a friend who was ghosted by her live-in boyfriend of two years. He went golfing one afternoon and never came back. He left everything – his passport, his underwear, his laptop. Six months later he was engaged. Three years later, my friend is still getting his mail. I have BEGGED my friend to go low on social media but she won’t (even though her ex’s wife has the exact same haircut as Kate f-cking Gosselin, the “can I speak to a manager” white woman special). And my level-headed friend is right because to acknowledge someone is to give them power. Miranda and Staci are giving one another so much power. And Evan doesn’t suffer any real consequences, partly because he’s touring with Miranda, which is probably the biggest break of his professional life, and partly because he’s not famous enough for people to care about him.
It’s Miranda who people want to answer for this heathenism. So how is all of this working for her – does she feel like she is fighting for the love of her life? She’s been through a lot, she has a huge career and she’s been, in the past, married to her professional equal, so Evan must be worth it to her… right now. It’s also worth noting though that ghosting a spouse (unless they are abusive) is beyond cruel. If it’s true, Evan is a coward. And someone who treats his wife this way may also eventually treat his girlfriend that way.
As Lainey has pointed out, Miranda has been on the receiving end of “homewrecker” accusations before, but there’s a key difference in this situation: Staci is out there embracing her identity as the scorned woman empowered. She is willing to sacrifice her privacy to let people know that Miranda didn’t beat her. There’s a definite sense of pride in Staci’s Instagram posts and comments (she responds to her new fans often). She’s a wild card, and who knows what that could turn into? A tell-all or a reality show or at the very least, sponsored Instagram posts. Miranda and Evan need to tread lightly here; the ex-wife could turn into the ultimate rogue relative, and not even the Royal Family can shut one of those down.
Attached - Miranda Lambert and Evan Felker performing at the same event a couple weeks ago in Massachusetts.
