Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at Netflix Tudum 2025. (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)After three years of dating, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have broken up, People reported on Sunday. While no specific reason for the split was given, sources close to the couple told the magazine that the country singer and Outer Banks star, both 32, are "two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn't," noting "it happens."Fans, however, are taking the split pretty hard. One person commented on People's post about the news, "What?? I was expecting an engagement announcement !!!" Another added, "I'm heartbroken over this." And plenty more refused to believe the news until they heard it directly from the couple themselves. (While neither has addressed the breakup on social media, Ballerini's rep confirmed the breakup to People.)Of course, it's no surprise that the duo is sparking an emotional reaction, given how public the two were - and how their story was all about finding love after heartbreak. Here's a rundown of the Stokes-Ballerini romance.
How Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini metThough Stokes and Ballerini are both in the entertainment industry, they actually met over Instagram in December 2022. By January 2023, the two were already spotted at the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship in Los Angeles, where Stokes posted a pic of the pair looking cozy on Instagram.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn a February 2023 episode of Call Her Daddy, Ballerini confirmed her relationship with Stokes, whom she said she connected with after her manager suggested she pursue him. Ballerini said she slid right into his DMs with the words "Hi Chase Stokes" after the two began following one. She said she had not yet watched his Netflix hit Outer Banks - she just thought he was cute.
Prior to connecting with Stokes, Ballerini had recently split from her husband, country music singer Morgan Evans. The two finalized their divorce in November 2022."I was ready to open back up," Ballerini explained to host Alex Cooper. "I just felt, why not? I've never really dated; I don't know how it works. I'm like, 'Let's just put ourselves out there; let's just vibe.' And it's been fun."A public romanceFollowing the Call Her Daddy interview, Stokes and Ballerini weren't shy about showing off their budding romance. In addition to regularly posting about each other on social media, Stokes complimented girlfriend Ballerini's music during his appearance on Today. He was also seen walking hand-in-hand in New York City with Ballerini during the week of her Saturday Night Live performance. At the same time, the two regularly shared updates on their life together via social media posts.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBut the two made their official red carpet debut at the CMT Awards in April, which Ballerini cohosted alongside Kane Brown. The two stayed extra close as photographers snapped their photos.
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini at the 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards. (Taylor Hill/WireImage via Getty Images)In a July 2023 interview with Stylecaster, Ballerini explained why she's comfortable sharing her relationship with the public. "The thing that we've decided, and to each their own, is when you're with someone that you feel secure with and that you're proud to be with, why not share it?" she said.
She also said that both she and Stokes are "Labrador retrievers in human form.""It doesn't take much conversation to be on the same page," she said. "It's been half a year, and it's been great."AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBallerini also wound back the clock in August 2023, sharing on TikTok a video that she sent her best friend prior to her first date with Stokes. "I can do this. It's just a date," a clearly nervous Ballerini said in the video. "You just go and you eat food and you talk about things that you do."The couple also walked the red carpet together at the MTV Video Music Awards in September of that year, which happened to coincide with Ballerini's 30th birthday on Sept. 12. In the caption of a photo dump on Instagram, Stokes wrote, "dirty 30 looks pretty damn good on you ballerini. i love you."And just four days later, Ballerini did the same thing for Stokes's birthday on Sept. 16, writing, "happy birthday my sweet virgo" in the caption on her Instagram carousel.
Ballerini writes love songs for StokesLove songs about her relationship with Stokes appeared on Ballerini's fifth studio album, Patterns, which dropped in October 2024.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"He heard [the album] as it was happening," Ballerini told Teen Vogue during a Patterns listening party. "This is the first time that I've gotten to make a record where he's been a part of the whole process. He would be FaceTiming into the studio with the musicians. It was really fun to bring him alongside for the whole process