Why Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes Broke Up Again: ‘It Was Too Much’

THE RUNDOWN

• Hours after Chase Stokes hinted on Instagram that he and Kelsea Ballerini had broken up again, a source confirmed the split to Us Weekly.
• Multiple outlets reported that they had reconciled earlier this month after their initial September breakup.
• The Us Weekly insider revealed the reasons for their second breakup, and whether they could get back together again someday.

Shortly after Chase Stokes hinted on Instagram yesterday that he and Kelsea Ballerini had broken up again (writing that he was blocked), a source close to the former couple confirmed to Us Weekly that they really did call it quits again “this past week.”

It had been “so rocky and toxic,” the source claimed. “It was too much for Kelsea.” The insider noted that “jealousy definitely got in the way,” and that Ballerini “had a lot of trust issues” with her ex. (She alluded to this herself in her Mount Pleasant track “Emerald City.”)

Ballerini still cares for Stokes, the insider added, but they went into their reconciliation with “a lot of expectations,” and that, plus their busy schedules, ultimately led to the relationship’s end.

There could be a future for the pair—but not now. “Chase really did try to make it work and [he] loves her,” the source said. But “[they] aren’t talking right now.” The insider said there’s always “a chance they could get back together, [but for now, they are] taking space.”

Ballerini has not addressed the split publicly. In his two Instagram Stories yesterday, Stokes alluded to it, writing, “Don’t believe the media [who recently reported on his and Ballerini’s alleged reconciliation]. I’m blocked, I did nothing wrong. Sorry ❤️ I tried.”

In a second post, he wrote, “I’m sorry for those who believed in us. It is what it is. Onwards and upwards.”

When Ballerini and Stokes first broke up in September, a source close to the couple told People, “They’re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn’t. It happens.”

A source later told Us Weekly that Ballerini began the breakup conversation: “It was a hard split. They had been arguing a lot recently, and their communication wasn’t great in the last month. They were both traveling so much and trying to juggle everything, and the arguments piled up.”