• Kelsea Ballerini performed for the first time since confirming her split from Chase Stokes.
  • The singer appeared to reference the split on stage, telling the audience that she had a tough week.
  • Neither Kelsea nor Chase have spoken out about the split beyond the initial confirmation.

Kelsea Ballerini returned to the stage on Thursday, September 25, for the first time since confirming her split from Outter Banks’ Chase Stokes. And while the singer has kept pretty quiet about the breakup, Kelsea appeared to reference Chase mid-concert, telling the crowd she needed some “healing” this week.

“I think there’s this beautiful healing connective thing that happens when I get to play music with you,” Kelsea told the crowd at her SiriusXM and Pandora show at The Riviera Theater in Chicago, as reported by People. “Your girl needed it this week.”

In addition to her recent breakup, Kelsea has also been dealing with her dog’s health crisis. On Tuesday, she asked fans to send their well wishes to her “baby boy” Dibs after he was forced to undergo a “surprise surgery.”

According to E! News, Kelsea got emotional later in her performance when singing her hit song “Penthouse,” and had to take a bit of a break mid-track after singing the lyrics, “It hurts putting shit in a box / And now we don’t talk box / And it stings rolling up the welcome mat / Knowing you got half.”

News that Chase and Kelsea broke up first hit on September 14, when a representative for Kelsea confirmed the split, and details have been slowly trickling through ever since. One report claimed that Chase’s jealousy was a factor, but nothing has been confirmed.

kelsea ballerini, chase stokes
Instagram

Meanwhile, a source told People that they just weren’t meant to be. “They’re two adults who gave it their all and tried to do everything they could to make it work, but ultimately couldn’t. It happens,” the source said.

Whatever happened, fans suspect it was sudden, as Chase gushed about Kelsea on Instagram just a few days before the split was confirmed.