Nashville's hottest couple engulfed by cheating storm as insiders declare: 'It's over'

They were the hottest couple in Nashville, but their whirlwind romance has now come to a grinding halt.

Indeed, between messy breakups, rumors of infidelity and multiple attempts to salvage their relationship, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have finally called it quits.

And this time, an insider insists, it's for good. 

The country music star, 32, and the Outer Banks actor, 33, are 'through' after three turbulent years of dating, a source close to Ballerini exclusively told the Daily Mail. 

'They tried to rekindle and realized it is over,' the source said.

Initially, it seemed that Ballerini and Stokes had weathered the storm of their breakup in September. After all, just three months after splitting, it was reported that they decided to revive their romance.

But things came crashing down 'around the New Year,' the source said, as Stokes's 'continued jealousy' and their conflicting goals drove a wedge between them. 

According to the insider, Ballerini 'wants kids,' but Stokes was not yet ready to start planning for their future. 

'As much as she wants a life with him, it just felt like he didn't want a future that would involve kids, marriage and the whole package,' the source said. 'She didn't want that right now, but she wanted it eventually, and she just realized he wasn't on the same page.'

It also didn't help that, as the country singer's star power continued to rise, Stokes' previously reported jealousy issues became 'off-putting' to Ballerini and those around her.

'As much as there is love there, [the breakup] had to happen,' the insider said.

Neither Stokes nor Ballerini have ever publicly addressed cheating rumors that have circulated online, and our insider insisted there was 'no cheating' and that infidelity did not cause the breakdown of their relationship.

Rather, they said there was 'a lot of misguided control that [Ballerini] felt [Stokes] tried to get or take from her while also trying to ride her coattails.'

Indeed, Ballerini's decade-long career has experienced a meteoric rise following the release of her fifth studio album, Patterns, in 2024. The album reached the number one spot on Billboard's Country Albums Chart, and earned Ballerini her sixth Grammy Award nomination.

As for Stokes, the fifth and final season of his Netflix drama series, Outer Banks, recently wrapped production with a slated release date for later this year.

Famously, Stokes was in a high-profile romance with his Outer Banks co-star Madelyn Cline, 28, which began after filming Season One in 2019 and lasted just over a year.

So, fans of the series were particularly shocked earlier this month when Cline posted a selfie with Ballerini to her Instagram story. The women revealed they were hanging out as they covered their faces and appeared to be smiling in the photo posted on February 2.

Social media sleuths instantly took the cryptic post as a sign that Ballerini and Stokes were over for good, and speculated that the country singer was dishing about her breakup to Cline.

But the online back-and-forth is nothing new for Stokes and Ballerini, as much of the former couple's on-again, off-again relationship has played out publicly on social media.

The couple met shortly after Ballerini's 2022 divorce from Australian country singer Morgan Evans, and by January 2023, the pair were pictured getting cozy at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with Stokes 'soft launching' their romance on Instagram. 

From then on, the two were seemingly unable to satiate their hunger for one another. Their infatuation was well-documented on Instagram, and red carpets played host to their public displays of affection. Stokes quickly became Ballerini's biggest cheerleader, supporting her appearance on Saturday Night Live and surprising her while on the road.

But after they publicly celebrated their anniversary in January 2024, the once consistent slew of pictures seemingly halted, leading to the first whispers of trouble in paradise.

While they quashed the chatter at the Academy of Country Music Awards in May 2025, the relationship was not picture-perfect. Ballerini described herself and Stokes as 'yin and yang' and hinted at struggles during an interview that July.

'I think we're two and a half years in, so [the relationship] looks a lot different now than it did in the beginning,' she told Us Weekly. 'I just want all the good things in the world for him.'

She also gave insight into why they hadn't been spotted together, saying their schedules 'flip flopped' and that he had a 'heavy summer' while filming Outer Banks.

In September that year, Stokes declared his love for Ballerini in a celebratory post for her birthday, but a mere 48 hours later, a representative for Ballerini confirmed they had split.

At the time, sources told the Daily Mail that Stokes's jealousy had fueled their breakup - which was welcomed by Ballerini's friends, who reportedly saw it as her chance to finally 'find someone who is right for her.'

Stokes appeared to accept that the relationship was over when he posted an Instagram story in late November proclaiming his innocence and revealing Ballerini had 'blocked' him.

'I'm blocked, I did nothing wrong,' he told his 7.8 million followers. 'I tried. I'm sorry for those who believed in us. It is what it is. Onwards and upwards.'

Stokes still follows Ballerini on Instagram, but she no longer follows him.

The pair sparked reconciliation rumors a month later when they were spotted together in Edinburgh, Scotland. One eyewitness claimed they looked 'very much loved-up' and were 'holding hands at the bar.'

And in December, the Daily Mail reported that the couple were tentatively dating once again.

The actor seemingly confirmed their rekindled relationship on New Year's Eve, when he shared a carousel of photos that featured a romantic shot of the pair kissing at sunset. In the caption, Stokes reflected on the past year and advised his followers to 'take accountability' and 'learn from mistakes.'

But it seems their initial struggles had finally taken their toll. 

Ballerini attended the 2026 Grammy Awards solo this month, where she was nominated for Best Contemporary Country Album.

On Instagram, where Ballerini shared behind-the-scenes photos of her Grammys prep, the singer added a poignant caption: 'This one's for the girls.'

While our source isn't completely ruling out yet another reconciliation, it seems unlikely. 

'If for some reason he changes, there might be another chance,' the insider said.

'But she's doubtful and is trying to accept the breakup she never wanted. She had to listen to her doubts, finally, and take back control.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Ballerini and Stokes for comment.