A Timeline of Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes's Whirlwind Romance

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are still going strong more than six months after Stokes confirmed their relationship on the "Today" show. The beginning of 2023 was filled with rampant dating rumors for the country singer, 30, and "Outer Banks" star, 31, and they even battled breakup speculation shortly after going public. But since then, the two have been seemingly basking in the bliss of their romance, as evidenced by their handful of red carpet appearances together and PDA-filled Instagram posts.

Previously, Stokes was linked to his "Outer Banks" costar Madelyn Cline. The two first met in 2019 while making the show's first season, but split in November 2021 after more than a year of dating. They sparked reconciliation rumors in March 2022 when they posed hand in hand on set while filming the third season of their Netflix series. However, according to Stokes, the two have just remained good friends.

Ballerini, on the other hand, split from fellow country musician Morgan Evans in August 2022. She filed for divorce after nearly five years of marriage and later confirmed the news on her Instagram page. The former couple first met while hosting Australia's Country Music Channel Awards in March 2016 and later got married in December 2017.

From dating speculation fueled by outings and flirty interactions on social media to making their relationship official, the timeline of Stokes and Ballerini's romance is a whirlwind. Ahead, we break down everything we know about their relationship, from how it started to where it stands today.

Jan. 13: Speculation about the duo potentially dating began when Stokes shared an Instagram carousel that included a photo of him and Ballerini getting cozy at the College Football Playoff National Championship. While Ballerini's face isn't shown, Stokes tagged her in the snap. "Go vols 🙈," she commented on the post.

Jan. 16: Ballerini touched on the pair's dating rumors days later when she posted a TikTok featuring a screenshot of a post from gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi. In her video, the "Roses" singer laughs and shakes her head at the post, which says she can't be dating Stokes because she's "too busy consistently asking out the manager of soho house nash when she comes in all the time after last call."

"I know, I know, I know, I know, stop reading, stop looking," Ballerini says. "But what is happening, guys? What is this? Let's not do this." Ballerini captioned the video, "I'm about to break up with the internet 5 sure 😂."

Jan. 17: The next day, Stokes addressed his and Ballerini's dating rumors when a TMZ photographer quizzed the actor about what exactly is going on between him and Ballerini. When the photographer said Stokes and Ballerini make the cutest couple, the "Outer Banks" star responded, "Thank you." Then, when asked what drew him to the singer, Stokes said, "She's a sweet girl. We're having a good time, and that's all I'll say." He stopped short of confirming the pair's relationship status at the time.

Jan. 26: Then, TMZ shared a video of Stokes and Ballerini holding hands at a restaurant in Nashville, further adding to dating speculation that had been swirling around them. According to the outlet, the pair were spotted out two days prior at Nashville country music venue Robert's Western World, too.

Jan. 29: Several days later, the pair were spotted embracing at LAX.

Feb. 8: Despite their many outings together, Stokes declined to elaborate on the nature of his relationship with Ballerini in an interview with People, insisting to the outlet that they've "just been spending some time together." "Kelsea is a lovely, lovely girl," he added at the time. "She's great. We're having a good time."

Feb. 13: A few days after the interview was published, though, Stokes added fuel to their dating rumors when he posted a photo of himself and Ballerini cozying up to each other in an elevator. "So proud of you, your heart & your beautiful soul," he wrote in an Instagram Story, going on to congratulate her for the release of her EP and short film, "Rolling Up the Welcome Mat."

Feb. 22: During her episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Ballerini confirmed she's not single anymore but wouldn't reveal that Stokes was her new beau. "I'm just vibing," Ballerini said at the time, adding that her relationship with Stokes — which she said began after they started talking in December 2022 — has "been like a really beautiful reawakening."

Feb. 23: A day later, Stokes sent the rumor mill into overdrive when he posted a photo on his Instagram Story of Ballerini kissing his cheek while the pair hugged sweetly. He captioned the snap, "imy❤️."

March 2: The two stars enjoyed their first big outing as a couple at a New York Rangers vs. Ottawa Senators game at Madison Square Garden in NYC, where they were photographed sharing a kiss in the stands, per People.

March 3: Questions surrounding whether or not Ballerini and Stokes were dating ended when "Today" asked Stokes that very question during his appearance on the morning show, at which point he finally confirmed with an affirmative "Mhmm" and a smile.

April 2: A month after Stokes's confirmation, the pair made their red carpet debut at the CMT Music Awards.

April 4: Two days later, the couple attended the opening night of the Broadway musical "Shucked" and posed for a few photos together on the red carpet.

April 30: In an Instagram Q&A with fans the weekend of April 30 (via People), Ballerini was asked by a fan if she and Stokes had split not long after the two confirmed their romance publicly. The singer responded "nah" and quickly shut down the inquiry with a photo of the pair kissing.

May 29: Stokes let the world know his and Ballerini's relationship was still going smoothly, as he captioned an Instagram photo of the two jumping into a pool, "Hey world. We're living ❤️."

Aug. 31: The pair hit the Venice Film Festival together wearing matching all-black outfits.

Sept. 12: The couple celebrated Ballerini's 30th birthday by attending the 2023 MTV VMAs together in matching red outfits. During the preshow, Ballerini told host Kevan Kenney that the pair's twinning moment was all her idea, while Stokes hinted there was a "long story" behind it. Ballerini also said Stokes got her a "really personal and really sweet" birthday gift.

Sept. 16: A few days later, Ballerini shared a sweet photo tribute for Stokes's 31st birthday on Instagram and captioned it, "happy birthday, my sweet virgo. @hichasestokes."

Oct. 24: Ballerini and Stokes stepped out for another Hollywood event, the Time100 Next Gala in NYC, where the former was celebrated as one of the honorees. The pair had a PDA-filled evening, sharing a few kisses and snuggling up during the event.