Kelsea Ballerini Sparks Romance Rumors With 'Outer Banks' Star
Kelsea Ballerini and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes stroked dating speculation after Stokes published a photo of the two at the National College Football Championship game. The "Legends" singer was also seen cozying up to Stokes in a group photo from the game at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 9. Ballerini, 29, was previously married to fellow country singer Morgan Evans from December 2017 to November 2022.
On Friday, Stokes, 30, shared a gallery of recent photos, including a picture from the championship game. The actor and Ballerini are seen sitting very close together during the game. "Lil recap," he captioned the post. "Go Vols," Ballerini, a Tennessee native, wrote in response. One of Stokes' friends also posted a group photo, in which Ballerini appears to be holding onto Stokes' arm.
Days before Stokes' photo dump, Ballerini shared a slideshow of her recent pictures. Stokes and Ballerini appeared to be flirting in the comments section. "Could you please add piping hot sake to the list on slide 8 please with a side of burnt finger tips?" Stokes wrote. "hey chase say please one more time? Please," Stokes added in another comment. "I blame my new lack of finger prints on you 5 sure," Ballerini wrote.
Although Ballerini and Stokes have not commented on their suspected relationship, fans are already welcoming the celebrity couple. "Kelsea and Chase was not on my 2023 bingo card," one fan wrote. "is this a soft launch," another asked. "I'm sorry the Kelsea tag?!?! What," another wrote.
If Ballerini and Stokes are more than friends, this would be Ballerini's first public relationship since her divorce from Evans, 37, was finalized, notes Page Six. Ballerini and Evans married in Mexico in December 2017. In August 2022, Ballerini said the two were divorcing, and the proceedings were finalized in November 2022.
"Friends, I've always tried my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold," Ballerini told fans when she announced her divorce last year. "This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce. This deeply difficult decision is the result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end. It's hard to find the words here...but I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons."
As for Stokes, he dated his Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline for about a year before splitting in late 2021. Stokes plays John B. Routledge on Outer Banks, which debuted on Netflix in April 2020. The third season premieres on Feb. 23.