Kelsea Ballerini Reveals That Chase Stokes Posted a Photo of Her Before Discussing Their Relationship Status: 'He Full-Sent That'

Even before they were official, Chase Stokes couldn’t help but show off his girlfriend Kelsea Ballerina!

While playing “Sip or Spill” in a new interview with Party tonightBallerini, 31, decided to “open up” about the “hottest part” of her actor, 32. She said Stokes was proud of their love and was never afraid to show it.

“I think it’s very underrated for a man to be really proud of his relationship,” the country star said in an interview published Wednesday, Oct. 23.

Kelsea Ballerina and Chase Stokes Relationship Timeline

Then she recalled a certain moment, telling ET that Stokes first posted her photo “before we even had a conversation like ‘Are we together?’ ”

The first photo released by Chase Stokes featuring Kelsea Ballerini. Chase Stokes/instagram

“Even as a very independent woman, I love it when he says, ‘This is who we are. Here we are’, she said. “He sent it.”

The photo Ballerini cited was an image Stokes included in a January 2023 “recap” post on Instagram. Although the then-unofficial couple’s faces are not visible in the cuddly picture, he identified the star by tagging her Instagram account.

Rumors about the relationship immediately began to swirl. The stars teased their relationship in several interviews before finally making it official by walking the red carpet at the CMT Awards together in April 2023.

Kelsea Ballerini admits she’s not watching her boyfriend Chase Stokes Foreign banks: ‘He and I have an agreement’

Since then, the singer and Foreign banks stars were just openly affectionate.

Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini.

Hubert Vestil/Getty

Earlier this month, Ballerini spoke glowingly of Stokes in the Glamour Women of the Year Awards, telling PEOPLE that “he’s been such a big, beautiful part of my life for almost two years now.”

“I’m really proud of the art it’s inspired by,” the musician continued. “And I’m really proud to be with someone who speaks the truth in his art as well. And to be aligned in that way and share parts of our relationship and things like that, so openly and willingly, it’s really nice.”

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The pair have also continuously supported each other in their professional endeavors throughout their romance, and Stokes even starred in her music video for “First Rodeo,” which premiered on October 16. Joining the project for the song – which draws inspiration from their relationship – was a “no brainer”, the actor later revealed.

His conversation with Ballerini about the role, Stokes said Party tonight“It was like a really, really beautiful, vulnerable way of saying, like, ‘I wrote this song kind of about our story, and I don’t want anyone else to do it. Will you too?’ ”

After his immediate “yeah, duh,” Stokes said the singer “was like, ‘Oh! Was it that easy?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, honey. Yeah, right.’ So it wasn’t smart.”

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Source: HIS Education