Lainey Wilson Says She Had Almost No Money When She Met Devlin Hodges: “He Thought I Was Doing a Little Bit Better Than I Was”

Lainey Wilson has come a long way since growing up in the small town of Baskin, Louisiana. Thanks to her country music talents, she now holds a Grammy Award, several Academy of Country Music Awards, and was named Entertainer of the Year not once but twice. But even with the fame and fortune, Wilson never forgot her humble beginnings, struggling to make ends meet, and the time she was completely broke when she first met her fiancé, Devlin Hodges. 

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Chasing a dream at country music stardom doesn’t come with a great deal of benefits. Pouring her heart and soul into her music, Wilson had little time to grow a sizable nest egg. But don’t worry, thanks to her newfound stardom, she quickly hit a net worth of over $6 million. Yet, even with the singer crossing the millionaire threshold, she explained the night she met her future fiancé. 

Taking part in her upcoming documentary for Netflix called Keepin’ Country Cool, Wilson revealed one of the first images of her and Hodges together. “That was the night we met. I was broke. I was so broke when we met. And he thought I was doing a little bit better than I was. But a few weeks after we met, my sister had to Venmo me a couple hundred bucks.”

[RELATED: Lainey Wilson Speaks Out About Stereotypes Surrounding Country Life: “It’s Like, the Best Thing and the Worst Thing”]

The Reason Lainey Wilson Knew Country Music Was Her Calling

Although not having any financial stability, Wilson knew she was on the right path. “Whenever I had written my first song that I loved how it made me feel when I was in the middle of writing the song. When I was coming up with the idea, feeling like, ‘Man, I created something from nothing. How cool is that.’”

With Wilson drawn towards country music, she relied on her family to help keep that dream afloat. Thankfully, her sister was more than willing to send her some cash. And it paid off as Wilson dominated the genre. 

But no matter what – even if Wilson was still trying to find her footing in country music, she insisted, “I knew that that feeling was so special that I couldn’t completely let it go, and I think that’s why I knew it was my calling.’”

While Wilson now enjoys the success she once dreamed of, the memory of those early days still serves as a reminder of how far she has come. And meeting Hodges during that uncertain time only makes their story even more powerful.

(Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images for Universal Pictures)