\n<\/p>\n
Kelsea Ballerini<\/strong><\/a> opened up about her divorce from fellow country singer Morgan Evans<\/a><\/strong> during her speech at the Time100 Next Gala in New York City on Tuesday, October 24.<\/p>\n \u201cI got divorced last year at 29, and it was gnarly,\u201d Kelsea, 30, said at the event. \u201cAfter that, I got back to why I started writing songs and that was because I had really big, complex human feelings that I needed to sort through and figure out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSelfishly I did it for me, but I ended up putting it out just in case there was another 29-year-old girl that was dealing with the same thing,\u201d the singer said, referring to her Rolling Up the Welcome Mat<\/em> EP and introducing her song \u201cPenthouse.\u201d<\/p>\n The country star, who is now dating Chase Stokes<\/strong><\/a>, added that \u201cthis EP changed my life in a way I can\u2019t really explain.\u201d<\/p>\n In August 2022, the \u201cMountain With a View\u201d artist filed for divorce from Morgan, 38. The pair were married for nearly five years. At the time, she discussed the split on her Instagram Story, calling the decision to divorce \u201cdeeply difficult\u201d and a \u201cresult of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the \u201cOver For You\u201d singer confirmed the split on his own Instagram page. \u201cI am very sad to confirm that after almost five years of marriage, Kelsea and I are parting ways,\u201d he wrote. \u201cI wish it were otherwise but sadly it is not.\u201d He later reflected on the split in November 2022. \u201cOne of the hardest parts of it is how lonely it feels,\u201d he told Access<\/em> at the 2022 CMA Awards<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s strangely comforting to realize that so many other people have been through it,\u201d the country star continued, noting that he\u2019ll \u201ceventually\u201d try dating again.<\/p>\n Kelsea and Morgan first met in March 2016 when they cohosted Australia\u2019s Country Music Channel Awards and then spent time together at the afterparty.<\/p>\n In December 2016, the pair announced their engagement on social media. \u201cOn March 12th I met and hosted an awards show with @morganevansmusic\u2026\u201d the \u201cMiss Me More\u201d singer wrote on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cThis morning, 9 months and 13 days later, he got down on one knee in the kitchen while I was burning pancakes and asked me to marry him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLoving him has been the greatest gift of my life,\u201d she added. \u201cAnd now I get to do it for life. #HECALLEDDIBS.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n