The American Idol judge shares five children with wife Caroline Boyer
Luke Bryan is a doting father to five children – three of whom he adopted – and he loves spending time with them when he’s home, but some parental responsibilities, he admits, can be a “nightmare”.
The American Idol judge and his wife, Caroline Boyer, are preparing for their son, Thomas ‘Bo’, 15, to reach a major milestone as he has begun learning to drive ahead of his sixteenth birthday in March, but teaching him how to behave behind the wheel has proved challenging.
“He’s 15 so he’s doing the whole learner’s permit nightmare,” Luke told Audacy’s Katie & Company. “He is not a very good driver right now, so we’re having to work with him pretty hard.”
Caroline and Luke Bryan celebrated Bo’s 15th birthday in March
Discussing Bo’s lack of s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s, the 46-year-old added: “He’s very frustrated right now because he thinks he knows how to drive, but he has no idea what he’s doing. He thinks because he can operate a 4-wheeler or Polaris that he is quite proficient, but he is not, I assure you.”
There is one area Bo appears to excel in more than his father though – fishing. “He caught [his first 10-pound bass] a couple of weeks ago… It took him 15 years; it took me 46 years,” Luke joked.
Luke Bryan’s son Bo has a knack for fishing
Luke and Caroline also share a son Tatum ‘Tate’, 12, and in 2017 they adopted their nephew and two nieces, Til, Jordan, and Kris, following a heartbreaking family tragedy.
Luke’s sister Kelly died in 2007 of unknown causes, leaving her three children behind. “She was home with her three-year-old, and it was like someone turned the lights out,” Luke told People in 2013. “They never determined what happened. The autopsies, the coroner, no one could figure it out.”
InstagramLuke Bryan’s sons Bo (L), Tate, and Til (R)
Her husband, Ben, passed away 10 years later in 2017, after which Luke and Caroline decided to adopt their nieces and nephew. “We never thought twice about it,” Caroline previously told Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts.
“You know, it was never something that he and I had to sit down and talk about, ‘Should we take this on?’ We just did that.”
InstagramLuke Bryan with all five of his children
Luke spoke of their new family dynamic shortly after the adoption in 2017, telling People: “I woke up one day and I’m raising a teen. And it’s a challenge because my main thing with Til is just properly giving the right amount of advice and realizing you’re talking to someone who is becoming an adult.
“I have to be that parent role where if he does something, he needs to get in trouble, but I want to be a friend to him too.”
InstagramLuke Bryan, Caroline and their sons live in Nashville
In September 2021, Luke was brimming with pride and emotion as he walked Jordan down the aisle at her wedding. Shortly after the special day, Luke told ABC News: “To get to walk Jordan down the aisle was the coolest, literally one of the most emotional things I’ve ever done.”
InstagramLuke Bryan and Caroline adopted their nieces and nephew in 2017
The star revealed how they made sure to celebrate both Kelly and Ben’s memories at Jordan’s wedding, including adding their wedding bands to Jordan’s bouquet and leaving two empty chairs for them.
“It was just a beautiful ceremony, a beautiful time,” he said after the ceremony. “It was just a magical wedding, and we were just enjoying being with friends and family. it was just magical on all levels.”
