Kelsea Ballerini’s boyfriend: Find out about her romance with Chase Stokes, her marriage to Morgan Evans, and more here.
Kelsea Ballerini’s love life has taken a fresh turn. After publicly splitting from longtime boyfriend Chase Stokes in September 2025 following nearly three years together, the pair confirmed over New Year’s Eve that they rekindled their romance. Both stars shared heartfelt messages on social media — Chase emphasizing personal growth and accountability, and Kelsea speaking openly about her belief in love and breaking patterns after a “messy year” emotionally. However, just a month later, multiple outlets reported that they had broken up, and this time, it may have been for good.
The country music singer continues to focus on her music career while navigating life after her 2022 divorce from country singer Morgan Evans. Though she often lets her work speak for itself, she has shared candid reflections about love, heartbreak and resilience throughout this chapter.
Learn more about Kelsea’s public relationships — including her reconciliation with Chase, her past marriage, and how both have influenced her life and music — below.
Fans began speculating that something was going on between Kelsea and Chase when they appeared in a group photo together at the National Championship football game in Jan. 2023. Days later, Chase took to Instagram to share a photo of Kelsea snuggling up to him in their seats at the game, adding further buzz to the romance rumors. Over the next few weeks, the two continued to fuel the speculation. First, they were spotted looking quite cozy at a bar in Nashville, and then, they were photographed packing on the PDA while at the airport.
Kelsea finally confirmed that she was in a new romance with Chase on the Feb. 22 episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast. When asked if she was single, she answered, “Nope! I’m just vibing,” before getting into more details about her connection to Chase. “It’s all really new to me,” she said about the romance. “I’m tiptoeing, but I’m happy. It’s been a really beautiful reawakening.”
During the interview, Kelsea also delved further into the timeline of the relationship. She said it all started in Dec. 2022. “I slid into his DMs,” the country singer proudly added. “I was just like…I’m not going to get on the apps. And he shoots [Outer Banks] in Charleston and my manager lives there. He put the bug in my ear. He’s like, ‘You know who’s really cute when you’re ready…’ and I’m like, ‘You’re so right!’ I’ve never seen the show but I knew of him. I followed him, he followed me and I swan dove right in.”
Her opening line has become a favorite amongst her fans. “His handle is @HiChaseStokes, so I said, ‘Hi, Chase Stokes,’” she laughed. At the time, she said they were “just having fun,” but it wasn’t long before things started to get more serious. At the beginning of March, Kelsea was in New York City ahead of her appearance on Saturday Night Live, while Chase was in town to promote Outer Banks. The two had their first public date night at a New York Rangers game on March 2. They were also photographed holding hands while strolling around New York City, and Chase was backstage to support Kelsea amidst her Saturday Night Live debut.
As things started publicly heating up, some fans began wondering whether or not the relationship was the real deal, or just a publicity stunt. On March 7, Kelsea poked fun at the buzz on her Instagram Story. She shared a photo of herself sitting on Chase’s lap, which she sarcastically captioned, “IDK, seems staged. Probably PR.” When Kelsea went on tour in March 2023, Chase was spotted attending several shows, where he proudly watched from the side stage as she performed. Then, he was by Kelsea’s side at the CMT Awards on April 2, marking their official red carpet debut as a couple.
Chase is best known as an actor and has appeared in various features, including the Netflix series, Outer Banks, since 2020.
