Kelsea Ballerini has been doing her best since her divorce from Morgan Evans — and boyfriend Chase Stokes is playing a big role in her newfound happiness.
Ballerini, 29, shared rare insight into her relationship with Stokes, 30, in an interview with StyleCaster published Monday, July 10. While discussing the process of moving on after the end of her marriage, Ballerini explained why she and Stokes aren’t interesting in hiding their romance.
“The thing that we’ve decided, and to each their own, is when you’re with someone that you feel secure with and that you’re proud to be with, why not share it?” she said. “He’s also a Virgo; we’re both Labrador Retrievers in human form. It doesn’t take much conversation to be on the same page. It’s been half a year and it’s been great.”
Despite her years of experience in the music industry, Ballerini confessed that she’s not used to the heightened interest in her personal life. “I’m giving myself a lot of grace,” she added, joking that the past year has been a “s–tstorm.”
Ballerini described the current moment as “a very interesting time” in her life as she enters “a season of play” — from dating to fashion. “I always thought of myself as one thing, which was a glittery, palatable blonde that sings country music,” she teased. “I’ve realized over the last few years, as I’ve woken up to myself, and really stepped into my womanhood, that I’m really open to discovering more of myself.”
As she approaches 30, Ballerini is continuing to learn about her own identity. “There is this huge energetic shift within you where you shed your child self and become your adult self,” she said. “It’s usually surrounded by a lot of friction and a lot of difficult conversations and losing people and that kind of stuff. But then you get to the other side — you’re like, ‘Oh, s–t, here I am.'”
Ballerini was just 24 when she exchanged vows with Evans, now 38, in Mexico in December 2017. The musicians had been dating for less than one year when Evans popped the question in December 2016.
After nearly five years of marriage, Ballerini and Evans announced their split in August 2022. “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,” she wrote via her Instagram Story.
At the time, Evans hinted that the decision to split may not have been mutual, writing in a social media statement of his own, “I wish it were otherwise but sadly it is not.”
Ballerini filed for divorce the same day news broke of their separation. Us Weekly confirmed in November 2022 that the pair had reached a settlement.
Since calling it quits, the twosome have used their music to drop hints about what went wrong in their relationship. Evans released the breakup anthem “Over For You” in October 2022 — and Ballerini responded earlier this year with a six-song EP titled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.
“I realize you loved me much more at 23 / I think that this is when it’s over for me,” she sings on “Mountain With a View.”
Despite her apparent drama with Evans, Ballerini hasn’t given up on love. She was first linked to Stokes in January — and the duo have been going strong ever since. The couple made their red carpet debut at the 2023 CMT Music Awards in April.
