Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes. Shutterstock (2)
It’s the little things! Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes took a romantic stroll following their PDA-packed date night in New York City.
The happy couple were all smiles as they held hands while walking around the Big Apple on Friday, March 3. The “Heartfirst” singer, 29 — who is set to appear as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Saturday, March 4 — kept it casual but chic, donning a tan and black peacoat over a grey sweatsuit. She accessorized the fit with a green trucker hat, a black crossbody purse and a pair of sunnies. The 30-year-old Outer Banks star, for his part, matched his girlfriend’s vibe in his own red and white trucker cap, which he wore with a black hoodie and light brown sweatpants.
The low-key outing comes one day after the pair were spotted stealing a kiss while at attending the New York Ranger’s game against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, March 2. The two sat side by side as they laughed and whispered in each other’s ears before sharing a sweet smooch.
Ballerini and Stokes first sparked dating speculation in January when they were seen together at the College Football Playoff National Championship game in Los Angeles – amid drama with the Tennesee native’s ex-husband, Morgan Evans. While the pair initially played coy about their relationship status, the Grammy nominee confirmed during a February 22 episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast that she and the Stranger Things alum are dating — and that she slide into his DMs last year.
“His handle is ‘hichasestokes’ and I just said, ‘Hi Chase Stokes,’” she told host Alex Cooper, before adding that the two were happy “just vibing” together.
On Wednesday, March 1, Stokes addressed the duo’s whirlwind romance while appearing on the Today show. When asked whether he’s a fan of the “Mountain With a View” artist, Stokes replied, “Absolutely I’m a fan. Yeah, who isn’t a fan?”
Earlier this month, a source exclusively told Us Weekly that the couple isn’t putting any pressure on their relationship. “Right now, they have a very no strings [attached] situation,” the insider shared with Us at the time, adding that they’re “rarely in the same place, so they’re still getting to know each other.”
Prior to her relationship with the Maryland native, Ballerini was married to Evans, 37. The exes were married for nearly five years before announcing their split in August 2022. They finalized their divorce four months later.
Since their breakup, both musicians have slammed each other through their music. The Australia native released his latest single, “Over for You,” in September 2022, in which he hinted that he was surprised by the divorce. The “Subject to Change” artist, for her part, fired back with her February EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which seemingly responded to his claims with tracks like “Penthouse” and the aptly titled, “Blindsided.”
Stokes, meanwhile, previously dated Outer Banks costar Madelyn Cline from June 2020 to November 2021. While the pair have since gone their separate ways, they’ve continued to work alongside one another on the Netflix drama.
“Mads and I have been working together now for 30 episodes, and we made a promise to each other before we even started dating that the work was always going to come first,” the actor said during an interview with Entertainment Weekly last month. “And that no matter what happens in our personal lives, and the ways that life sometimes takes you in different directions, that we’re always going to honor the work. That stayed 100 percent truthful this season.”
The 25-year-old Vice Principals star echoed her ex’s sentiments, saying the pair had a “working relationship” before they had a “personal relationship” and have both worked hard at “leav[ing] the show better than how we found it.”
She added, “I’m really, really happy, and I’m very proud of the work this season, and I’m incredibly grateful for my costars and their professionalism and just how talented each and every one of them are.”
