Red Flags In Kelsea Ballerini And Chase Stokes' Relationship From Our Matchmaker

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have been one of Hollywood's it-couples since they soft-launched their relationship on the "Outer Banks" star's Instagram in January 2023. The two were seen cuddling at a football game, confirming the rumors that they were an item. "You were dropping hints ALL along!! I love it!!!!!" a fan exclaimed. Ballerini and Stokes remained coy about their dating status for some time, but the country singer admitted on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast a month after the viral Instagram post that she had made the first move by sliding into Stokes' DMs. "I've never seen his show, but I just knew of him, and I just swan dove right on in," she shared.

Ballerini and Stokes have been dating for about two years now, and while their relationship seems to be solid, matchmaker Susan Trombetti, CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, sees a few red flags. "When it comes to the two of them, they present a perfect couple image on social media. Who doesn't? You never know what's actually going on because they aren't going to air their dirty laundry," she exclusively told Glam. They certainly gush about each other on their respective Instagram accounts often, but as our expert pointed out, there are some warning signs that their relationship might not make the long haul.

Kelsea Ballerini went through a very public divorce with fellow singer Morgan Evans, which was finalized in November 2022. That means she was only single for a couple of months before meeting Chase Stokes. Relationship expert Susan Trombetti sees this as a red flag and shared that one of the signs you're rebounding after a breakup is going for someone completely different than your ex. In Ballerini's case, that would be Stokes, who's nothing like her country-singer ex-husband.

The short time span between Ballerini's divorce and dating Stokes is also concerning. Given that she was married to Evans for almost five years, the "First Rodeo" singer likely didn't have enough time to get over her breakup before moving on to another relationship. "It doesn't leave a lot of time to process your split, reflect, and move on in a healthy way," Trombetti exclusively told us, adding, "There could be some issues that could bubble up, should they start experiencing some difficult times."

Dating when you're incognito is hard enough, but the added pressure of being a celebrity is undeniable. So far, Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have said nothing but good things about each other publicly, but matchmaker Susan Trombetti thinks they should keep their relationship more on the down-low. "They share more than they should on social media. It should be private," Trombetti exclusively told Glam. "People love to tear down celebs and their relationships. There should be nothing that the public or other social media users can use against them."

Ballerini even admitted that she's trying to balance how much of her relationship she shares with fans in an October 2024 interview with Billboard. "I'm not used to the interest in me as a person, as much as I have been warming up to the last couple of years," she mused. The singer-songwriter added, "I'm still getting my footing on how I share things ... and my relationship and all that stuff. It's not normal so I think it's fair enough that it's an ebb and a flow." Trombetti's advice to the hot couple? "Keep it private. The public thinks they own celebs sometimes."

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes celebrated their second anniversary on January 7, and the CMA Award winner shared in an Instagram post, "[T]wo years of catching each other in countless cities, perfecting a chimichurri steak, and creating a world that revolves around dogs. love you so, teammate." Many congratulated the couple on their milestone, but matchmaking expert Susan Trombetti sees their jet-set life as a red flag. She exclusively told us that having to chase your partner around the country as a busy celebrity can add strain to the relationship, especially if it's fairly new like theirs.

Trombetti also pointed out that living the glamorous life isn't always fun, explaining, "Most people want nights in with their person watching a movie and having takeout. Obviously, their careers take them apart for long periods of time, and that's never good. It gets lonely and frustrating." Stokes revealed to People in September 2024 that he and Ballerini make it a point not to go more than three weeks apart. "If we need to make the effort to show up when one's across the country, we do it," he shared. Despite their intentions, jumping on a plane at the last minute isn't always feasible, and over time, they may get tired of having to put so much effort into their relationship.

Not only did Kelsea Ballerini move on quickly after her divorce from Morgan Evans, but she's also showing signs that she's moving too fast with Chase Stokes. "As a matchmaker, I always say to wait at least three months to go exclusive," Susan Trombetti advised. However, Ballerini and Stokes didn't seem to wait long at all before declaring themselves off the market. "They were first seen at a college football game in January 2023, and she acknowledged on a podcast in February 2023 that they were already a couple," Trombetti shared. She added, "She was only divorced for three months at that point. Even though the split was announced prior in August, we don't know how long they were actually separated."

As Trombetti mentioned before, Ballerini was still on the rebound after her divorcing Evans, and jumping from one serious relationship to another is already a red flag — and then she made another huge leap by moving in with Stokes. Not even two years after becoming boyfriend-girlfriend, the "Love Me Like You Mean It" singer confirmed that she and her beau are living together. "Oh, we're unpacked, baby!" she announced to People in October 2024.

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes are still fairly young, being in their early 30s, but at that age, many start thinking about whether or not they want to have kids, which matchmaker Susan Trombetti thinks could be a point of contention for them. "In previous interviews, she indicated she is trying to figure out these things. Whether they want kids or see each other as two people that are heading to marriage or a domestic partnership isn't known," she exclusively shared with Glam.

Ballerini has opened up in the past about not being ready to have children with her ex-husband Morgan Evans, which was one of the biggest issues in their marriage. "He was ready. He was like, 'I don't want to be an old dad,' is what he kept saying. I was like, 'I'm not there yet and I can't do that to save this [marriage] and give you something that I'm not ready for. I just can't do that to myself,'" she recalled on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. Stokes hasn't acknowledged publicly if he ever wants to start a family, but his stardom is growing — and so is Ballerini's — so having kids is probably the last thing on their minds. Trombetti told us, "One thing is for certain, her career and his take center stage, and there must be pressure to figure the rest out." Knowing how soon is too soon to talk to your partner about wanting children is imperative, and we only hope they both know what they want and can balance it.