Image source: Getty / Stefania D’Alessandro / Steve Jennings
Nearly two months after romance rumors surfaced, “Are Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes Dating?” The saga has come to an end, because they are officially a couple! when”TodayWhen asked if Stokes and Ballerini are really dating during his morning show appearance on March 3, Stokes finally confirmed it with an affirmative “Mm-hmm” and a smile.
Speculation about the duo’s possible relationship began on Jan. 13 when the 30-year-old “Outer Banks” star shared an Instagram carousel that included a photo of him and the 29-year-old country-pop singer getting cozy in soccer. academic. National Qualifying Championship. While Ballerini’s face is not shown, Stokes tagged her in the snapshot. “Go vols 🙈,” he commented on the post.
Representatives for Stokes and Ballerini did not respond to POPSUGAR’s initial requests for comment about their relationship, but the “Roses” singer did address the dating rumors days later on Jan. 16 when she posted a message. Tik Tok with a screenshot of a post from the Instagram gossip account DeuxMoi. In the video of her, Ballerini laughs and shakes her head at the post, which she says she can’t be dating Stokes because she’s “too busy constantly asking Soho House manager Nash when she comes over all the time after the last call”.
“I know, I know, I know, I know, stop reading, stop looking,” says Ballerini. “But what’s going on guys? What is this? Let’s not do this.” Ballerini captioned the video, “I’m about to break internet 5 for sure 😂.”
@kelseaballerini I’m about to break with the internet 5 for sure 😂
The next day, Stokes addressed the rumors when a TMZ The photographer bumped into him and asked the actor what exactly was going on between him and Ballerini. When the photographer said that Stokes and Ballerini make the cutest couple, he replied: “Thank you.” Asked what drew him to the singer, Stokes said: “She’s a sweet girl. We’re having a good time, and that’s all I’ll say.” However, he stopped short of confirming the couple’s marital status at the time.
Read ahead for every update of the Stokes and Ballerini romance rumors leading up to their confirmation.
When did Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini start dating?
Stokes and Ballerini kept fans on their toes for weeks with their many outings together and flirty interactions on social media as dating speculation. On January 26, TMZ shared a video of the couple holding hands at a restaurant in Nashville, adding to the dating speculation that has been swirling around them. According to the outlet, the couple was spotted on January 24 at Nashville country music venue Robert’s Western World.
Several days later, the couple was seen embracing at LAX. Still, in an interview with People, which was published on February 8, Stokes declined to elaborate on the nature of his relationship with Ballerini at the time, insisting that they have “just been spending some time together”. “Kelsea is a lovely, lovely girl,” she added. “She’s great. We’re having a good time.”
But on February 13, Stokes added fuel to his dating rumors when he posted a photo of him and Ballerini snuggling in an elevator. “So proud of you, your heart and your beautiful soul,” he wrote in the caption, then congratulated her on the release of her EP and short film, “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.”
Image sources: Instagram user hichasestokes
On the February 22 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, Ballerini confirmed that she is no longer single, but did not reveal that Stokes was her new boyfriend. “I’m just vibrating,” Ballerini said, adding that her relationship with Stokes, which she said began after they started talking in December 2022, “has been like a really beautiful awakening.”
A few weeks before Stokes confirmed the new couple’s romance, he posted a photo to his Instagram Story on Feb. 23 of Ballerini kissing his cheek as the pair sweetly embraced. He captioned the snap, “imy❤️.” Then, on March 2, the two stars enjoyed their first big outing as a couple at a New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators game at New York’s Madison Square Garden, where they were photographed sharing a kiss in the stands, according to People.
Image sources: Instagram user hichasestokes
Image sources: Who have dated Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini?
Stokes was most recently linked to his “Outer Banks” co-star Madelyn Cline. The two first met in 2019 while making the show’s first season, but reportedly broke up in November 2021 after dating for more than a year. They sparked reconciliation rumors in March 2022 when they posed hand in hand on set while filming the third season of their Netflix series. However, according to Stokes, the two remain good friends.
“A long time ago, we agreed to always put work first. So I think going into the next chapter, we just wanted to equally deliver on that promise,” Stokes told People. “Truth be told, she’s an amazing actress. She’s a lovely human being. And I’m over the moon and so proud of the work we’ve done over the last three seasons. I’ll always support her.” .”
Ballerini, on the other hand, split from country musician Morgan Evans in August 2022. She She filed for divorce after nearly five years of marriage and later confirmed the news on her Instagram page. The former couple first met while hosting Australia’s Country Music Channel Awards in March 2016 and later tied the knot in December 2017.
