![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/02aaee8222e70ddfa2e1dbf31b7290baee-chase-kelsea-breakup.rsquare.w330.jpg\")
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\n The (formerly) happy couple.
\n Photo: Tommaso Boddi\/FilmMagic\n <\/p>\n
Get ready for the next big breakup album. Country star Kelsea Ballerini<\/a> and Outer Banks actor Chase Stokes have split after nearly three years, Ballerini\u2019s rep confirmed to People<\/a> on September 14. Sneakily announced right before the Emmy Awards started on Sunday night, the news came as a shock considering Stokes had just posted an Instagram photo dump<\/a> celebrating Ballerini\u2019s birthday two days prior on September 12.\u00a0\u201cAlthough you keep saying you\u2019re not excited for 32, id say I\u2019m lookin forward to more of this,\u201d Stokes wrote in the caption. \u201cHappy birthday my love.\u201d The loving caption gets even more interesting considering that Stokes\u2019s birthday is September 16. Here\u2019s everything we know so far about the Virgo exes.<\/p>\n Way back in January 2023. The two first sparked rumors when they attended a college-football game<\/a> together on January 9. Ballerini confirmed their relationship while on a February 22 Call Her Daddy<\/a> podcast episode, revealing they met after she slid into his DMs. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen his show, but I just knew of him, and I just swan-dove right on in,\u201d Ballerini said. As her opener, Ballerini recalled, \u201cHis handle is \u2018@hichasestokes,\u2019 and I said, \u2018Hi, Chase Stokes.\u2019\u201d Throughout their time dating, the couple posted often on social media together, and fans speculate that her 2024 album, Patterns, is about their relationship and the baggage that came with it. \u201cIt\u2019s been such a beautiful journey to figure out how to be in a relationship with someone who\u2019s truly a mirror of you,\u201d Ballerini said of Stokes ahead of the album release<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s taken a lot of really intentional work, and you hear that throughout this new album.\u201d<\/p>\n Ballerini entered into the relationship just two months after her divorce from Australian country-music star Morgan Evans was finalized in November 2022. Ballerini dropped a divorce EP titled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat<\/a> on Valentine\u2019s Day 2023 shortly after she started dating Stokes. \u201cI wonder what we\u2019ll both say \/ When we see each other \u2019round town\u201d she sings on \u201cInterlude.\u201d \u201cWe said we\u2019d handle this the right way \/ I guess we\u2019ve done each other wrong now \/ I hope you sleep better at night now that you got an army \/ Of people that believe I\u2019m the word that you used to call me.\u201d If you\u2019re still on line to listen to music that reveals the intricacies of Kelsea Ballerini\u2019s latest breakup, stay on line.<\/p>\n Stokes was in his own high-profile (if you\u2019re Gen Z or work at Netflix) relationship and breakup when he dated\u00a0 his Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline from June 2020 to October 2021. Their relationship seemingly did not end amicably after fans speculated that Stokes cheated on Cline. One woman at the center of the cheating allegation denied he was with Cline in a now-deleted TikTok.<\/p>\n No one\u2019s rooting for a cheating scandal, but we are just going to remind everyone that Carrie Underwood\u2019s best song (to sing at karaoke) is \u201cBefore He Cheats.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt happens\u201d is apparently supposed to be enough of an explanation for the surprise split. That\u2019s what sources told People. \u201cThey\u2019re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn\u2019t,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n This story will be updated on September 16 if Ballerini goes rogue and posts a birthday shout-out to Stokes.<\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n