Kelsea Ballerini hits back at trolls calling her relationship with Chase Stokes a PR stunt
Stokes and Ballerini were first linked to one another in January
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kelsea Ballerini is taking control of the narrative when it comes to her relationship with actor Chase Stokes.
The singer-songwriter took to Instagram to squash rumors she and Stokes were in a PR relationship.
"Idk seems staged. Probably PR," she wrote beneath a photo of her sitting on Stokes' lap, which the actor had posted. She tacked on an upside-down smiley face emoji.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Spotted out together on several occasions, Ballerini confirmed her relationship with Stokes last month while on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast.
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Kelsea Ballerini shared Chase Stokes' Instagram post to her own story, poking fun at rumors their relationship was a PR stunt. (Kelsea Ballerini Instagram)
This is not the first time Ballerini has addressed the Stokes rumors head on.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Last month, the 29-year-old took to TikTok to address assumptions made about her relationship, referencing a post about her from a gossip site.
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The post in question read in part, "She's too busy consistently asking out the manager at Soho House Nash when she comes in all the time after last call… This has to be a PR play," referencing a photo of Ballerini and Stokes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Kelsea Ballerini, right, clapped back at assumptions she and "Outer Banks" star Chase Stokes were in a PR relationship. (Jamie McCarthy/Neilson Barnard)
"I know, I know, I know, I know, I know. I know," she lamented to the camera. "Stop reading. Stop reading. Stop looking."
"But what is happening, guys?" she asked her followers.
"What? What? What?" she said as she motioned to different parts of the message. "No — let's not do this, you know?"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The couple first sparked romance rumors after Stokes posted a carousel of photos to Instagram in January, with one featuring Ballerini.
The picture showed Ballerini and Stokes cuddled up in their seats at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Although their backs are to the camera, Stokes tagged the singer, so there was no confusion as to who he was sitting with. Ballerini commented on the post saying, "go vols" along with an emoji of a monkey covering its eyes.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While prepping for her role as musical guest of "Saturday Night Live" last week, Ballerini was photographed in New York City with Stokes. She also shared photos of the 30-year-old actor backstage with her to her own Instagram.
Kelsea Ballerini, right, and Chase Stokes were spotted holding hands in New York City ahead of Ballerini's performance on "Saturday Night Live." (Gotham/GC Images)
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Ballerini was previously married to country artist Morgan Evans for nearly five years before filing for divorce last summer.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Stokes previously dated his "Outer Banks" co-star Madelyn Cline, although they split in 2021.