Kelsea Ballerini is the epitome of shooting your shot, famous for sliding into the now-boyfriend Chase Stokes’ direct messages to introduce themselves.
The country singer, 30, took to Instagram on Saturday, September 16, to celebrate the event Outdoor benches actor on his 31st birthday.
Ballerini shared several photos and videos with Stokes, including a photo of the pair attending a concert together. “Happy birthday, my dear Virgo. @hichasestokes,” she captioned the post.
“My human ❤️,” Stokes replied to the post.
And it was the final slide of her birthday tribute that showed how the relationship began: a screenshot of the “Rolling Up the Welcome Mat” singer sliding into Stokes’ DMs.
“Hiii chase stokes,” Ballerini wrote, referencing Stokes’ username.
“Hi, how are you?” Stokes replied two hours later.
![Chase Stokes had the perfect response when Kelsea Ballerini slid into his DMs](https://www.usmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Chase-Stokes-Had-the-Perfect-Reply-When-Kelsea-Ballerini-Slid-into-His-DMs-Inline.jpg?w=700&quality=86&strip=all)
Earlier this month, Stokes took his turn celebrating Ballerini’s birthday on Instagram with a series of photos and videos. ‘Dirty 30 looks damn good on your ballerini. I love you ❤️,” he captioned the post.
“You really made 29 😍🥹🫶🫠 I love you stokes,” Ballerini wrote.
The couple sparked romance rumors in January when they were spotted together at the College Football Playoff National Championship in Los Angeles. Ballerini confirmed her relationship with Stokes during a “Call Her Daddy” episode the following month.
“[My manager] said, “You know who’s really cute, when you’re ready? Chase,” Ballerini explained. “I thought, ‘You’re absolutely right,’” she recalled. “His handle is ‘hichasestokes’ and I just said, ‘Hello Chase Stokes.'”
Before that, Ballerini and Stokes both had relationships in the public eye. Ballerini announced in August 2022 that she would perform together with a compatriot Morgan Evans had separated after almost five years of marriage.
“Friends, I have always done my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold,” she wrote via Instagram Story at the time. “This is public now, so I wanted you to hear directly from me that I’m getting a divorce.”
Stokes, for his part, has previously been linked to Outdoor benches Co-star Madelyn Clijn. After confirming their relationship in June 2020, the couple split in November 2021.
As for Ballerini and Cline, the two seem to have nothing but love for each other. After the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, Ballerini responded to a sweet message on Cline’s Instagram post.
“You looked ridiculously stunning and I’m glad I finally got to hug your neck 🤍,” Ballerini wrote.
“So glad I got to hug your beautiful, beautiful girl,” Cline replied.