Kelsea Ballerini appears to be addressing her split from Chase Stokes for the first time.
The “I Sit in Parks” singer conducted an “Ask Me Anything” via her Instagram Stories on Monday, December 1, fielding questions from fans about her dog, Dibs, her upcoming Australian tour and her frame of mind.
“How are YOU?!? You heal a lot of us, what do YOU need?” asked one fan.
“Thank you for saying this and asking. I’m in a steady and happy place right now, truly excited for this Australia tour and the holidays,” Ballerini, 32, responded.
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Ballerini continued, “If I had one favor, it would be honoring that I’m trying to make my personal life personal for now. Unless it comes from me, it’s not from me. And that is really important in protecting my peace right now.”
A source exclusively told Us Weekly last month that Ballerini and Stokes, 33, had called it quits once again after a brief reconciliation. The couple first split in September after dating for over two years. (The stars were first linked together in January 2023.)
“It’s done,” a source told Us on November 20, adding that the former couple went their separate ways “this past week.”
“It was too much for Kelsea,” the insider added, describing the relationship as turning “so rocky and toxic” in recent months.
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The source further revealed that “jealousy definitely got in the way,” and that Ballerini “had a lot of trust issues” with the Outer Banks star stemming from her 2022 divorce from Australian country singer Morgan Evans. As such, “it’s been hard for her to trust again,” the insider said.
“Chase really did try to make it work and loves her,” said the source, adding that he and Ballerini “aren’t talking right now.”
The insider continued, “There’s a chance they could get back together,” however, the exes are “taking space” for the time being.
The split comes after Ballerini and Stokes briefly ended their relationship in September. However, by October, the stars were spotted together in Scotland and looked “very much loved-up and holding hands at the bar,” said an eyewitness. In November, they were spotted again in Croatia, where Stokes is filming the final season of Netflix drama Outer Banks.
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A source confirmed to Us on November 10 that Ballerini and Stokes were “giving their relationship another try.”
“There’s still a lot of love there, so they fell back into it very naturally,” noting the pair “never really stopped being in touch after their brief split.”
But things appear to have hit the rocks again as Ballerini attended the November 19 CMA Awards solo. The following day, Stokes raised eyebrows with several cryptic Instagram Stories.
“Don’t believe the media. I’m blocked, I did nothing wrong. Sorry. I tried,” he wrote in one post on November 20 as fans noticed that he and Ballerini were no longer following each other on Instagram.
Stokes further wrote, “I’m sorry for those who believed in us. It is what it is. Onwards and upwards.”
