Real-Life Love
Chase Stokes & Kelsea Ballerini Are Hollywood’s New Power Couple: Dive Into Their Romance
Country singer Kelsea Ballerini and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes have been head over heels ever since they found love with one another. After almost two years of dating, Ballerini and Stokes have quickly become one of Hollywood’s most adorable couples.
Rumors first started to twirl around town (aka the internet) after the celebrity twosome was spotted in January 2023 at the College Football Playoff National Championship in Los Angeles. Quickly after, Ballerini appeared on Call Her Daddy where she spilled the beans about her then-budding relationship. And the rest is history, as they say!
Now, the two often support each other on red carpets and give sweet shoutouts on social media. Scroll down for Swooon’s deep dive into their romance.
How did Chase and Kelsea meet?
During her conversation with host Alex Cooper, the “Heartfirst” singer revealed that she was the one who slid into Stokes’ DMs. “His handle is ‘hichasestokes,’ and I just said, ‘Hi Chase Stokes,'” the Knoxville native said about their initial meet-cute. When they actually met each other for the first time in real life is unclear, but they were open about their involvement from pretty much the get-go.
They were spotted at the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023. Stokes fueled romance rumors by sharing a cuddly photo of him and Ballerini from inside the arena in an Instagram dump he posted that month. Since then, the Netflix actor has frequently featured his music star girlfriend on his platform, and she has done the same.
Both are in the public eye, which allows them to show up as an item to their professional obligations. Walking tons of red carpets alongside each other, the Uglies actor and Grammy nominee even made their Met Gala debut as a couple in 2024.
Wearing Michael Kors to the star-studded fashion event, Stokes spoke to PEOPLE about attending the famous first Monday in May. “I had just flown from Morocco to Atlanta to do re-shoots for a movie with Netflix. It was a 26-hour travel day,” he said before adding, “I worked all day, and then I had the next morning to do something. I was on the way to the aquarium with my girlfriend, and we got the call.”
What have they said about each other?
Ever-so-wholesome, the inseparable pair are open about their loving relationship. You could even say that their social media accounts are a shrine to their significant other.
Stokes celebrated Ballerini’s birthday on September 12. “Happy birthday to my partner in crime. I love you I love you I love you endlessly,” he wrote on Instagram. The intimate snapshots are as cute as can be, and the “Cowboys Cry Too” artist responded with, “Cleaning up dog vom with you for two birthdays now and wouldn’t have it any other way. i love you virgo man, now let’s go get your movie premiered.”
Talking about their first official public appearance together at the 2023 CMT Awards, The Voice Season 27 coach spoke to E! News before her 2024 CMT hosting gig, “So it kind of felt like a little full circle, and we’ve gotten to live a lot of life together in that year,” she said.
She also gushed that she knew Stokes was the one when he stepped “straight out the Bronco.” Ballerini added, “We’re so happy, and you know we both have big lives, and we’re both trying to weave through it together and give each other our own space to thrive and grow.”
They currently split their time between Nashville, South Carolina, and Los Angeles. “We don’t BS each other. If we need to make the effort to show up when one’s across the country, we do it,” Stokes told PEOPLE. “The amount of effort that we put into our careers, we should be doubling that in our personal lives. It’s about really putting in effort, and it’s not always easy and it’s not always convenient, but having a big, beautiful life didn’t come from convenience or ease.”
Who did Chase and Kelsea previously date?
Both have previously been in very public relationships. Stokes dated Outer Banks costar Madelyn Cline. They were together for more than a year after meeting on set of the popular show. Cline and Stokes confirmed their split in November 2021. They remain friends, and Ballerini even called Stokes’ ex “so hot” in a post she made about Season 4 Part 1’s debut.
Ballerini, who was married to fellow musician Morgan Evans for over four years, announced her divorce to him on August 29, 2022. They reached a settlement on November 3, 2022, just a few months before she and Stokes started their relationship.
