A new love story! Cole Swindell and Barbie Blank debuted their relationship at the 2019 Academy of Country Music Awards on Sunday, April 7.
The new couple were cozy as can be as they posed together on the red carpet outside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The country singer, 35, looked sharp in a navy Dolce & Gabbana suit and a black baseball cap as he lovingly wrapped his arm around the WAGS alum, 32, who wore a sparkly black and blue dress with a plunging neckline, an open back and a thigh-high slit.
Blank snapped a selfie with Swindell in the car on their way to the awards ceremony. “Here we go! #ACMawards,” she captioned the photo of them smiling on her Instagram Stories.
The Georgia-born musician’s single “Break Up in the End” was nominated for Song of the Year at the ACMs, but lost to Dan + Shay’s megahit “Tequila.” When the nominations were announced in February, he took to Twitter to express his excitement: “I can’t thank the songwriters and the @ACMAwards enough for the honor of being included in the Song of the Year category. So proud of this song and everyone who helped bring it to life.”
Blank responded to Swindell’s tweet at the time, writing, “I am beyond excited and proud of you babe!!!” She continued to hint at their romance on social media in the weeks that followed, but neither of them confirmed the rumors until Sunday night.
The “You Should Be Here” crooner has been notoriously private about his past relationships. In March 2018, he told The Boot, “I’m really happy with where I am in life right now, but along the way, there were relationships that ended. … I know what it’s like to get hurt, and, unfortunately, I’ve also hurt some people. That’s what keeps me guarded. I don’t want to hurt anybody, and that affects my relationships to this day.”
For her part, Blank, who competes as a professional wrestler under the name Kelly Kelly, was married to former NHL star Sheldon Souray from February 2016 until Us Weekly broke the news of their separation in October 2017. She previously dated fellow wrestler Andrew “Test” Martin for two and a half years until he died from an accidental overdose in March 2009.
