Kelsea Ballerini Asks for Space While Dealing With Split and Dog’s Health Scare
Kelsea Ballerini is going through a fascinating time right now, both personally and professionally, to say the least, and after dealing with a breakup and then her dog’s health scare….
Kelsea Ballerini is going through a fascinating time right now, both personally and professionally, to say the least, and after dealing with a breakup and then her dog's health scare. On Sept. 23, she confirmed her relationship status with actor Chase Stokes via a video posted to TikTok, acknowledging the speculation and stating her boundaries. Their romance was once filled with public displays of affection and shared milestones, including moving in together about a year into dating, which inspired Ballerini's song "Baggage."
The split was described as difficult for both parties. "It was a hard split," the insider shares. "They had been arguing a lot recently, and their communication wasn't great in the last month. They were both traveling so much and trying to juggle everything, and the arguments piled up."
In the midst of her breakup, Ballerini has focused on self-care, even visiting a Nashville salon for highlights and a blowout shortly after the split. In her latest concerts, she has been singing some of the songs from her new album, Patterns, and some of her older songs in which she reflected on the healing nature of music during difficult times.
At the same time, Ballerini's dog, Dibs, is still dealing with a serious medical condition. Dibs was adopted in 2015 and named after her own hit song. He celebrated his 10th birthday in June 2025, more than a year after being diagnosed with inoperable heart cancer in August 2024.
"We have discovered that Dibby has inoperable cancer in his heart," she said in an Instagram Stories post at the time. "He's not in pain, and luckily it hasn't spread further. We're going to start him on the 'big' meds to try to make sure he can have as many comfortable and happy days (weeks, months) left as possible."
Initially given only four months to live, Dibs has undergone treatments like chemotherapy and recently faced a new complication requiring surgery.
"Baby boy has a surprise surgery today," the 32-year-old wrote in a post on her Instagram Stories Sept. 24. "We would appreciate all of the big love and prayers and healing energy you can send his way. It's gotten him this far."
Fans worldwide have rallied around Ballerini, sending messages of love and support as she continues to prioritize Dibs' comfort and happiness while navigating a difficult chapter in her life.
