On the outside, Kelsea Ballerini is a carefree, bubbly blond who seems to always be smiling.
She is a talented celebrity with a powerhouse country voice, who appears to have it all. But even she can be the subject of criticism, and she’s not afraid to admit that she too gets hurt by negative comments she receives from other people.
“I No Longer Go On Reddit”
The 29-year-old “IF YOU GO DOWN (I’M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)” songstress, who will mark her 30th birthday in September, opened up about gossip she has seen spread around on the Internet while appearing in a cover story interview for Style Caster earlier this month.
“I discovered Reddit in 2022… and I no longer go on Reddit,” Ballerini shared her reaction after discovering what she read on the content and discussion website. “I would read situations of what people had thought of me or what people had heard about me, or people’s interactions of meeting me, and they were negative.”
“That guts me; that s— really gets to me,” she confessed. “I think the reality is that everyone is human. I wish people believed me when I say, ‘Instead of taking a photo from behind your menu, come say hi.’”
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Painful Remarks By Reddit Users
Some of the unkind remarks Ballerini received, according to the outlet, followed one of the most painful and difficult chapters of her life — her divorce. In 2022, the country star ended her five-year marriage to Morgan Evans. And, during those dark days, she became the subject of scrutiny.
And while Ballerini refrained from going into a deep dive of negativity, she knows all too well that painful situations can cause people to go numb and stay silent. Ballerini isn’t new to that, as she reflects on the aftermath she endured after surviving a school shooting as a teenager.
“I get why people don’t speak out because the pushback is so aggressive, so violent, and so dark and scary,” the star, who dedicated her co-hosting duties at the 2023 CMT Music Awards to the victims of gun violence as well as first responders. “But, I didn’t for a long time. I didn’t say sh— about sh— for a long time because I was there. I was scared. And I guess I just had to rip [off] a couple of Band-Aids. As soon as you rip one, the rest get a little less scary.”
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat Post-Divorce EP
For Ballerini, fans can often find her ripping off band-aids through her music. And, instead of responding to the comments associated with her divorce, she processed her split with Evans in an EP entitled Rolling Up the Welcome Mat.
The 6-track project became a success, peaking at number 5 on the Billboard Independent Album charts. The project also unexpectedly heightened interest in Ballerini’s personal life, and she ended up including some of the songs from the EP in her Heartfirst tour set list.
“I’m like, ‘Why now’?” Ballerini shares her reaction to the reception she received on Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, which she now refers to as her ‘big break.’ “And the answer I keep getting is because when you honor yourself—and you do the right thing for everyone—but you’re really honoring yourself, you create the space within your soul and your body and your heart to welcome what’s meant for you. So I do feel like there’s some kismet stuff happening just because I have space for it now.”
Vulnerability Of Ballerini’s Passion Project
The vulnerability of Ballerini’s passion project also opened a personal door for her as she sees herself maturing and growing into womanhood while admitting she previously always saw herself as “a glittery, palatable blonde that sings country music.”
“I always thought of myself as one thing, which was a glittery, palatable blonde that sings country music. I’ve realized over the last few years, as I’ve woken up to myself and really stepped into my womanhood, that I’m really open to discovering more of myself,” Ballerini explained. “I think that’s translating in a lot of different ways in my life, but certainly through fashion, to being open and also realizing that it’s another way to express yourself and play. I’m in such a season of play right now.”
These days, it’s easy to see Ballerini in a season of play as she has been enjoying time with Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, whom she went romantically public with in April. The pair find themselves putting their hearts first as they step into new phases of their blooming relationship.
“The thing that we’ve decided, and to each their own, is when you’re with someone that you feel secure with and that you’re proud to be with, why not share it?” she says. “He’s also a Virgo; we’re both Labrador Retrievers in human form. It doesn’t take much conversation to be on the same page. It’s been half a year, and it’s been great.”
