Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes didn’t roll up the welcome mat on their relationship — even during their brief time apart.
The pair “never really stopped being in touch after their brief split,” a source exclusively tells Us Weekly, after confirming that Ballerini, 32, and Stokes, 33, “are back together.”
News broke in September that the pair split after two years of dating. However, the breakup was short-lived, as the Grammy nominee reconnected with Stokes earlier this fall in Europe.
“They really picked up where they left off,” the source explains.
After spending a little time apart, the insider tells Us, “Kelsea wanted to give it another chance and missed Chase a lot.”
Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes’ Relationship Timeline
Stokes, for his part, “Never wanted the breakup,” the source says. “[He] always felt there was something between them and believed they just needed time to cool off and figure things out.”
The musician and the Outer Banks star have since “worked through some of their ‘issues,’” according to the source, who notes that both Ballerini and Stokes are “hopeful this time around will be better.”
Ballerini and Stokes were first linked in January 2023, after the “Peter Pan’ singer reached a divorce settlement with ex Morgan Evans in November 2022 after splitting earlier that year.
Throughout their relationship, the duo couldn’t help but sing each other’s praises. They were often seen supporting one another at big events, including music awards shows and red carpet premieres.
Kelsea Ballerini ‘Initiated’ Chase Stokes Split After ‘Arguments’: Source
“He is the first person I’ve been in a relationship with that I feel like is not my complete opposite,” Ballerini told Nylon in October 2023, revealing Stokes had “golden retriever energy.”
Ballerini recalled knowing “as soon as I met him” that he was the right match for her.
“Maybe that sounds like I’ve learned zero things, but I’ve always been a heart-first girl and the truth is it’s never led me astray,” she gushed. “I’ve always been where I needed to be while I needed to be there.”
In September, Stokes called Ballerini his “love” as she rang in her 32nd birthday. “Although you keep saying you’re not excited for 32, I’d say I’m lookin’ forward to more of this,” he wrote via Instagram on September 12 alongside a carousel of photos from their silly moments on the road together.
Two days later, a rep for Ballerini confirmed to Us that she and Stokes were no longer a couple.
In the wake of their breakup, Ballerini dropped her latest single “I Sit in Parks” off her upcoming EP Mount Pleasant, in which she sings about feeling like she might’ve missed her chance at becoming a mother.
“I sit in parks, it breaks my heart / ‘Cause I see just how far I am from the things that I want,” the lyrics read. “Dad brought the picnic, Mom brought the sunscreen / Two kids are laughing and crying on red swings / We look about the same age / But we don’t have same Saturdays.”
However, as her new single took over the airwaves, Us exclusively reported that Ballerini and Stokes had quietly started spending time together again.
The pair were spotted near Scotland’s Edinburgh Castle on October 13, eyewitness Gemma Kennedy told Us on Saturday, November 8.
Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes Spotted Holding Hands 1 Month After Split
“He was very nice. We had a wee chat about how he was having a holiday in Scotland before going to Croatia to film the final season of Outer Banks, “ Kennedy said of meeting Stokes. “They both seemed really happy and smiley.”
The eyewitness added that the actor and Ballerini “ were very much loved-up and holding hands at the bar.”
Ballerini and Stokes were later seen together in Dubrovnik, Croatia, on Friday, November 7, the same day her new song dropped.
Us has since confirmed that the twosome are officially back on.
“Kelsea and Chase are giving their relationship another try,” an insider told Us on Monday. “There’s still a lot of love there, so they fell back into it very naturally.”
