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Kelsea Ballerini<\/a> and Chase Stokes have called it quits after nearly three years together \u2014 and while there\u2019s no dramatic scandal behind the split, it still stings.<\/p>\n According to a source close to the former flames, the Outer Banks<\/em> actor and the country star gave it their all, but life, distance and timing caught up with them.<\/p>\n The breakup was described as \u201chard,\u201d<\/a> following weeks of mounting arguments and missed connections \u2014 but it was handled with mutual respect.<\/p>\n \u201cThey had been arguing a lot recently, and their communication wasn\u2019t great in the last month,\u201d a source told Us Weekly<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n The insider continued, \u201cThey were both traveling so much and trying to juggle everything<\/a>, and the arguments piled up.\u201d<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>Here Are the 21 Saddest Country Songs by Women, Ranked [Photos]<\/a><\/p>\n Ballerini, 32, \u201cinitiated the conversation,\u201d but both she and Stokes, 33, were \u201cmature adults\u201d about it, agreeing that they needed space.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is still a lot of love between them,\u201d the source added. \u201cThey were trying to make it work<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Ballerini is also still navigating the emotional aftermath of her 2022 divorce from fellow country singer Morgan Evans<\/a>. That, too, played a role.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough it\u2019s been a few years, Kelsea is still coming out of a divorce<\/a> and figuring out what she really wants, and she\u2019s not in a place where she\u2019s going to just settle,\u201d the insider shared. \u201cChase understood that, but in the end, they realized they weren\u2019t aligning the way they hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n Ballerini and Stokes were first linked in early 2023, when Stokes posted a cuddly photo of them at the College Football National Championship.<\/p>\n Read More:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>9 Country Stars You Might Not Believe Posed Nude<\/a><\/p>\n They made things official at the 2023 CMT Music Awards, but kept the relationship mostly private, showing up quietly to support<\/a> one another over the next two years.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work,\u201d the source said. \u201cBut ultimately couldn\u2019t. It happens.\u201d<\/p>\n Ballerini remains in a creative upswing<\/a>, with her PATTERNS (DELUXE)<\/em> era bringing both critical and commercial success.<\/p>\n She\u2019s also booked and busy \u2014 and so is Stokes \u2014 which may have been part of the problem.<\/p>\n See country music’s shortest marriages, including one that only last four days!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThey Argued, They Tried \u2014 and Then Let Go<\/h3>\n
The Country Star + The Netflix Heartthrob<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Next for Ballerini<\/h3>\n
See Country Music’s 15 Shortest Marriages<\/h2>\n