Kelsea Ballerini Explains Chase Stokes’ Absence at Grammys After She Attends Solo
What To Know
- Kelsea Ballerini attended the Grammy Awards solo after reconciling with Chase Stokes at the end of 2025.
- She opened up about his absence and revealed their status in a red carpet interview.
- Stokes and Ballerini had a dramatic public breakup before getting back together.
Just one month ago, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes made a point to publicly declare that they’re back together, so fans were surprised to see the country singer walk the Grammy Awards red carpet solo.
Ballerini and Stokes have attended several awards shows together since they started dating in 2023, but the Outer Banks star was not by Ballerini’s side at the 2026 Grammys. The Best Contemporary Country Album nominee opened up about her current status with Stokes ahead of the show.
While Stokes did not go to the actual Grammys, Ballerini confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that he was “with me getting ready today and he’ll be with me when we wrap.” She added, “We’ve been together for quite a while now and done a lot of life together.”
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Stokes’ decision to not attend the Grammys is likely due to his and Ballerini’s decision to keep their relationship more private this time around. The two first broke up in September 2025, but were spotted holding hands in Croatia less than two months later. Shortly after that, Stokes revealed that they’d ended things once again.
“Don’t believe the media,” he wrote on his Instagram Story. “I’m blocked, I did nothing wrong. Sorry. I tried.” He also posted, “I’m sorry for those who believed in us. It is what it is. Onwards and upwards.” Naturally, this prompted a lot of buzz about what went down between the two, which was heightened with the release of Ballerini’s Mount Pleasant EP that same month.
When the couple confirmed they were back together on New Year’s Eve 2025, they hinted that they’re not planning on being as public this time around due to the intense media scrutiny surrounding their romance. “Messy year for the way it became an out of our hands portrayal of it,” Ballerini wrote on her Story. “But what I’ll say and all I really care to share indefinitely with my personal life anymore is that I really love love. I believe in it, I believe in him, and I believe in breaking patterns.”
At the Grammys, Ballerini told ET that the breakup “looked a lot more dramatic than it was,” but confirmed that it was “quite the learning lesson” for her and Stokes.
