Kelsea Ballerini’s love life has taken a fresh turn as she rings in 2026. 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 have 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.
The renewed relationship comes amid a period of change for Kelsea, who 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.
