Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes Reportedly Split Up After Years Of Dating

Kelsea Ballerini and Chase Stokes have reportedly parted ways.

Unnamed sources “close to the couple” confirmed to PEOPLE on Sunday (September 14) that the Patterns artist and the Outer Banks actor are “two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn’t. It happens.” Neither Ballerini nor Stokes have publicly commented as of publication time.

The split arrives two days after Stokes posted a heartfelt birthday tribute to “my love,” Ballerini, writing in his caption on Instagram that he’s “lookin forward to more of this.” Ballerini turned 32 on Friday (September 12). Stokes will celebrate his 33rd birthday on Tuesday (September 16). Stokes seemingly disputed recent rumors of a breakup last month when he shared a photo of Ballerini’s beloved dog, Dibs, on his Instagram story with a red heart emoji.

Ballerini slid into Stokes’ DMs in December 2022. The pair started talking and first sparked dating rumors when Stokes posted a photo sitting closely with Ballerini at the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Shortly after that, Ballerini confirmed the budding romance in an interview on Call Her Daddy. They attended their first red carpet event as a couple in April 2023, when Stokes accompanied Ballerini to the 2023 CMT Music Awards at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Over the years, they've both shared sweet glimpses into their relationship on social media and in interviews. Ballerini told Entertainment Tonight last year that the “hottest part” about dating Stokes is he’s “really proud of his relationship.” She previously told PEOPLE, in part, when asked whether she still believes in marriage after divorce, “I love love, and I think different people have different goals and what it can look like, you know? I don’t know. I don’t know what the future holds, but I value partnership very heavily …I’m open, but who knows.”