NBC Kelsea Ballerini and Kelly Clarkson
Former part-time “The Voice” coach Kelsea Ballerini has admitted that she is dating Netflix’s “Outer Banks” star Chase Stokes in an interview following her new EP, “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.”
In an episode of “Call Her Daddy,” which was released on February 22, 2023, Ballerini opened up to host Alex Cooper about her relationship status.
“Am I single?” Ballerini says, repeating the question asked by Cooper. “Um, No.”
She later adds that she and Stokes are “just vibing” but she doesn’t consider herself single.
Ballerini and Stokes Hinted at Their Relationship in January 2023
The couple first went public with their relationship without commenting on it in early 2023. On January 13, 2023, Stokes, 30, uploaded a photo of the two looking cozy together, sparking fans’ interest and leaving many wondering if the two are an item.
The photo, which shows the couple cuddling at a football game, was posted in a slew of images on Stokes’ Instagram. He captioned the photo dump, “lil recap.” Ballerini, 29, was tagged in the photo, and she also commented, “go vols 🙈.”
Now, in the podcast, Ballerini opened up about their relationship for the first time. She said they started talking when she messaged him on Instagram.
“I slid into his DMs,” she revealed, adding that his Instagram handle is “@hichasestokes,” and her first message to the actor was, “Hi, Chase Stokes.”
In a February 8, 2023, TikTok, Ballerini showed Stokes lying next to her on the couch, though she did not show his face.
Ballerini Filed For Divorce in August 2022
Ballerini filed for divorce in from her husband of nearly five years, Morgan Evans in Davidson County, Tennessee, on August 26, 2022, according to court records obtained by Heavy.
Court records obtained by People reveal that the couple reached a settlement in their divorce on October 24 in Davidson County, Tennessee
Ballerini and Evans lived in Nashville and were married there in December 2017, the divorce records show. Ballerini’s filing cited “irreconcilable differences” as the grounds for divorce.
“They’ve been working on their marriage for a very long time,” a source told People at the time. “Prior to this they had separated privately once before and have been in therapy for several years. They gave it their best go but unfortunately arrived at the decision to formally separate.”
In the episode of the podcast, Ballerini said that she is unsure if she wants children but Evans was ready to start a family and didn’t want to be an “old dad,” which is what ultimately led to their divorce.
On November 6, 2022, Ballerini uploaded a TikTok video with the caption, “a lil gratitude moment. life is cool.”
“I was thinking about in the last, like, week and a half, I’ve gotten to be on stage with Carly Pearce, with Wynona Judd, and Little Big Town, and Brandy Carlisle, and Martina McBride and Ashley McBride,” she started. “And then I’ve also gotten to be on stage with Carrie Underwood. And I’ve also gotten to be on stage with Keith Urban.”
She added, “And I wish I could go tell 13-year-old me that that would be a week that exists in my life and that now this week I get to go put on a pretty dress and sit in a really good seat at the CMA Awards and perform and be nominated. Very grateful. Very, very grateful.”
Ballerini is set to be the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” on March 4, 2023.