After three years of relationship, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have damaged up, Folks reported on Sunday. Whereas no particular cause for the cut up was given, sources near the couple informed the journal that the nation singer and Outer Banks star, each 32, are “two adults who gave it their all and tried to do every thing they may to make it work, however finally couldn’t,” noting “it occurs.”
Followers, nonetheless, are taking the cut up fairly exhausting. One particular person commented on Folks’s publish in regards to the information, “What?? I used to be anticipating an engagement announcement !!!” One other added, “I’m heartbroken over this.” And lots extra refused to consider the information till they heard it straight from the couple themselves. (Whereas neither has addressed the breakup on social media, Ballerini’s rep confirmed the breakup to Folks.)
In fact, it’s no shock that the duo is sparking an emotional response, given how public the 2 have been — and the way their story was all about discovering love after heartbreak. Right here’s a rundown of the Stokes-Ballerini romance.
How Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini met
Although Stokes and Ballerini are each within the leisure business, they really met over Instagram in December 2022. By January 2023, the 2 have been already noticed on the 2023 School Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship in Los Angeles, the place Stokes posted a pic of the pair trying cozy on Instagram.
In a February 2023 episode of Name Her Daddy, Ballerini confirmed her relationship with Stokes, whom she mentioned she related with after her supervisor advised she pursue him. Ballerini mentioned she slid proper into his DMs with the phrases “Hello Chase Stokes” after the 2 started following one. She mentioned she had not but watched his Netflix hit Outer Banks — she simply thought he was cute.
Previous to connecting with Stokes, Ballerini had just lately cut up from her husband, nation music singer Morgan Evans. The 2 finalized their divorce in November 2022.
“I used to be able to open again up,” Ballerini defined to host Alex Cooper. “I simply felt, why not? I’ve by no means actually dated; I do not know the way it works. I am like, ‘Let’s simply put ourselves on the market; let’s simply vibe.’ And it has been enjoyable.”
A public romance
Following the Name Her Daddy interview, Stokes and Ballerini weren’t shy about displaying off their budding romance. Along with often posting about one another on social media, Stokes complimented girlfriend Ballerini’s music throughout his look on As we speak. He was additionally seen strolling hand-in-hand in New York Metropolis with Ballerini through the week of her Saturday Evening Dwell efficiency. On the identical time, the 2 often shared updates on their life collectively by way of social media posts.
However the two made their official crimson carpet debut on the CMT Awards in April, which Ballerini cohosted alongside Kane Brown. The 2 stayed further shut as photographers snapped their photographs.
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini on the 2025 Academy of Nation Music Awards. (Taylor Hill/WireImage by way of Getty Photos)
In a July 2023 interview with Stylecaster, Ballerini defined why she’s comfy sharing her relationship with the general public. “The factor that we’ve determined, and to every their very own, is whenever you’re with somebody that you simply really feel safe with and that you simply’re proud to be with, why not share it?” she mentioned.
She additionally mentioned that each she and Stokes are “Labrador retrievers in human type.”
“It doesn’t take a lot dialog to be on the identical web page,” she mentioned. “It’s been half a 12 months, and it’s been nice.”
Ballerini additionally wound again the clock in August 2023, sharing on TikTok a video that she despatched her greatest good friend previous to her first date with Stokes. “I can do that. It’s only a date,” a clearly nervous Ballerini mentioned within the video. “You simply go and also you eat meals and also you speak about issues that you simply do.”
The couple additionally walked the crimson carpet collectively on the MTV Video Music Awards in September of that 12 months, which occurred to coincide with Ballerini’s thirtieth birthday on Sept. 12. Within the caption of a photograph dump on Instagram, Stokes wrote, “soiled 30 appears fairly rattling good on you ballerini. i really like you.”
And simply 4 days later, Ballerini did the identical factor for Stokes’s birthday on Sept. 16, writing, “blissful birthday my candy virgo” within the caption on her Instagram carousel.
Ballerini writes love songs for Stokes
Love songs about her relationship with Stokes appeared on Ballerini’s fifth studio album, Patterns, which dropped in October 2024.
“He heard [the album] because it was taking place,” Ballerini informed Teen Vogue throughout a Patterns listening social gathering. “That is the primary time that I’ve gotten to make a file the place he is been part of the entire course of. He could be FaceTiming into the studio with the musicians. It was actually enjoyable to convey him alongside for the entire course of and be [not only] such a phenomenal a part of the lifetime of this file however of the method too.
These songs embody “First Rodeo,” which Ballerini informed As we speak was the “old flame track” she wrote for her boyfriend. “Actually, it is basically the primary track the place it is form of like, ‘OK, I really feel just a little fragile, I really feel just a little scared to open myself as much as the capability that I need to, however I really like love, and I actually love you,’” she mentioned. Stokes additionally appeared within the music video.
In November 2023, Ballerini returned to Name Her Daddy, the place she up to date Cooper on her love life.
“He’s essentially the most emotionally clever man I’ve ever met in my life,” the singer gushed. “I maintain telling him he’s a person written by a girl.”
The couple develop nearer
Ballerini kicked off 2024 with an anniversary Instagram publish celebrating her yearlong romance with Stokes, which included photographs of the couple. She captioned the pics, “A complete journey across the solar with my bestie. @hichasestokes thanks for making me write love songs.”
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini on the 2025 Grammy Awards. (Kevin Mazur/Getty Photos for The Recording Academy)
Stokes responded along with his personal Instagram publish, which he captioned “One 12 months of lovin you. p.s. informed ya I wouldn’t embarrass you.”
The following 12 months was stuffed with firsts for the couple, together with strolling the carpet as a pair on the Met Gala in Could. In October, Ballerini mentioned in an interview with Those who the 2 formally moved in collectively.
And on Thanksgiving, Ballerini shared photographs on Instagram of herself and Stokes serving to to prepare dinner her household dinner.
Ballerini talks about how relationships take work
In an April 2025 interview with Folks, the five-time Grammy nominee mentioned she and Stokes will not be shy about tackling any points they’ve.
“Now my model of affection that I’ve discovered, it’s regular and it’s human, and we work on it,” she mentioned on the time. “That to me, truthfully, is the sexiest factor, like, ‘Hey, you need to go to remedy? Let’s go to remedy.’ Being so down together with your particular person to place within the work for one another and individually, it’s a really new form of love for me.”
She additionally mentioned remedy helped the couple “present one another the issues that we need to get higher at.”
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini with Jelly Roll. (John Shearer/Getty Photos for ACM)
“Chase and I have been like, ‘What are our objectives for the 12 months?’ And we mentioned we need to be hotter, funnier and extra formidable … the very best model of ourselves,” Ballerini mentioned.
Ballerini additionally informed Us Weekly in July 2025 that it’s necessary for {couples} to problem one another — “or it’s boring and then you definately’re stagnant after which that’s not going to work out,” she defined.
“I feel we’re two and a half years in, so [the relationship] appears rather a lot completely different now than it did to start with,” she mentioned.
Breakup rumors floor
However in August 2025, followers began speculating that there could be bother in Ballerini and Stokes’s relationship when she seemingly deleted a July Fourth picture dump that included pics of her then boyfriend. Nonetheless, followers believed all was nicely in August, when the Uglies star shared an Instagram story that includes Ballerini’s canine.
On Sept. 12, followers breathed a sigh of aid when Stokes posted a sequence of photographs on Instagram honoring Ballerini’s birthday with the caption, “though you retain saying you’re not excited for 32, id say I’m lookin ahead to extra of this. blissful birthday my love.” Ballerini didn’t touch upon the publish.
