Kelsea Ballerini Shares Shocking New Details Of ‘Nasty’ Divorce, Morgan Evans Responds
It appears things are getting heated between Ballerini and Evans.
Kelsea Ballerini, Morgan Evans; Photos by CMA
Morgan Evans broke his silence after Kelsea Ballerini’s bombshell comments about their divorce in a recent podcast.
The 37-year-old Australian-born singer/songwriter took to social media on Tuesday (Feb. 21) to share a statement with his followers, addressing Ballerini’s recent remarks about their divorce.
“It’s really sad for me to see this person, who I spent so much of my life with, and loved with all my heart, saying things that aren’t reality and that leave out what really happened,” Evans wrote. ”She knows I’m not the type of guy to speak on these things publicly.”
He went on to say, “If this is what she needs to heal, I hope it helps. All I ask is that if you’re on my pages, please don’t be mean. Don’t be mean to Kelsea, don’t be mean to each other. Life’s too short.”
Ballerini’s Call Her Daddy Podcast Interview
Evans’ response comes after a teaser of Ballerini’s interview with Alexandra Cooper on the Call Her Daddy podcast, was shared on social media.
In the sneak peek clip, the “HEARTFIRST” singer, who comes from a divorced family, admitted she “didn’t want to have a wedding” and that things “got nasty” after their divorce.
“I swore I would never get married,” she said. “I think he loved me more at 23 and I love me more at 29.”
Ballerini went on to comment on Evans’ latest single, “Over For You,” as well as their divorce settlement.
“As he’s putting out a song about being blindsided, he’s taking half the house that he didn’t pay for,” Ballerini said, which she also references in her new song “Mountain With A View.”
She then questioned, “How was I married to this person for this long and I had no idea that that bit of character was tucked within that human being?”
Is Kelsea Ballerini Single?
She also confirmed that she is no longer single before Cooper asked if she is in fact dating Outer Banks’ star Chase Stokes. It’s unclear what Ballerini’s answer was as the clip ended without airing her answer.
During a separate sneak peek of the podcast episode shared by PEOPLE, Ballerini, 29, made comments about the events that led to their breakup.
Bombshell Comments
According to Ballerini, their relationship “took work for a long time.” Her shocking comments also revealed that she and Evans split up multiple times before their divorce was made public.
“There were separations, there was years of couples therapy. There was like, many a night of sleeping on the couch,” she shared. “I don’t think it was the first night, but it was a night where I was like, this is not what I want.”
In her new song, “Blindsided,” Ballerini sings about a “big fight” she had with Evans before a “big show” in 2019. The lyrics include, “I slept on the couch and then the next night you put on your suit / I put on a smile and sang about how it’s okay to cry, dying inside.”
It’s now known that she was referring to the 53rd Annual CMA Awards, where she performed “homecoming queen” and walked the red carpet with Evans. She further elaborated on that argument in the podcast interview.
“I slept on the couch the night before the CMAs and I remember I went to rehearsal at the arena and texting him and being like, ‘I’ll just see you at the carpet,’” Ballerini explained.
“Disconnection”
She said there was “such a sense of disconnection” and confessed that they often didn’t make an effort to see each other. Because of this, she became “resentful” and “tired of showing up in that way all the time and not feeling like I was seen or matched.”
Ballerini’s episode of the Call Her Daddy podcast premieres exclusively on Wednesday, February 22, via Spotify.
The interview comes just days after Ballerini released a vulnerable six-track EP, titled Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, which she wrote after her highly-publicized divorce from Evans. Throughout the EP, Ballerini nonchalantly shared new details of their split within the lyrics.
“Over For You”
In October of 2022, Evans shared a post-divorce single, “Over For You,” which finds the singer/songwriter addressing the demise of his relationship with Ballerini and confessing that he was blindsided by their breakup.
Rolling Up The Welcome Mat
On Rolling Up The Welcome Mat, Kelsea Ballerini seemingly responds to Evans’ tune that finds him questioning “how long has it been over for you?” In Ballerini’s song, “Mountain With A View,” she sings, “I realize you loved me much more at twenty-three / I think that this is when it’s over for me,” which seems to be an indirect response to Evans’ question.
Kelsea Ballerini filed for divorce from Evans after nearly five years of marriage in August of 2022. ”This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce,” she wrote in a statement on social media.
At the time, Evans also shared the news of their divorce, writing “I am very sad to confirm that after almost five years of marriage, Kelsea and I are parting ways. I wish it were otherwise, but sadly it is not.”
According to court documents obtained by PEOPLE, Ballerini and Evans reached a divorce settlement in October of 2022, which unveiled details that the pair had “vacated” the home they shared in Nashville.
The couple’s divorce was finalized in mid-November of 2022.
Lauren Jo Black is a longtime country music journalist, editor, host, and media personality whose work has helped shape the conversation around country music for nearly two decades. As the current Editor-in-Chief of Country Now, she has become one of the genre’s most respected voices, interviewing hundreds of country music’s biggest stars, including Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire, Shania Twain, Randy Travis, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, and countless others. Over the course of her career, Black’s written work and interviews have reached billions of country music fans worldwide. A 2009 graduate of the University of Central Florida, Black began her career by founding Country Music Is Love, one of country music’s earliest independent digital publications, which she later sold to a major record label in 2015 before it was rebranded as Sounds Like Nashville. She then served as the publication’s Editor-in-Chief for more than two years. Her work has also appeared in Forbes, and she previously served as the Country Music Expert for Answers.com. Widely recognized for her expertise, Black has appeared as a featured guest on The Bobby Bones Show, BobbyCast, and Scripps News Morning Rush, providing insight on country music’s biggest moments. She has also hosted Country Now Live, a concert series featuring performances from artists including Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Riley Green, Jordan Davis, Dustin Lynch, Gabby Barrett, Brett Young, Jon Pardi, Kip Moore, Chris Young, and more. The series has welcomed thousands of fans in person while reaching millions more online. In addition, she hosted Connect With Country Now, a weekly interview series featuring conversations with rising country stars. Throughout her career, Black has earned a reputation for discovering and championing artists long before they become household names. She has covered Luke Bryan since the early days of his career, beginning when he was writing songs for other artists, including Billy Currington’s No. 1 hit “Good Directions,” before stepping into the spotlight with his debut single, “All My Friends Say” and eventually becoming one of biggest names in music. She also gave Megan Moroney her first opportunity to walk a major red carpet as Country Now’s official guest correspondent at the 2022 CMA Awards. An interview she conducted in 2018 for Forbes.com with Luke Combs that inspired his multi-week No. 1 hit, “Doin’ This.” She has also hosted stages at CMA Fest, moderated an industry panel at Country Radio Seminar, and helped lead important conversations about the evolving landscape of country music media. Beyond journalism, Black has also used her platform to support charitable causes and highlight organizations making an impact. Through Country Now Live, she has helped raise awareness and support for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, while also advocating for animal rescue through Country Now’s Pupdate series, spotlighting organizations including MuttNation Foundation, Wags & Walks, and Proverbs 12:10 Animal Rescue. Black has been recognized as one of Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. She is a longtime member of both the Country Music Association (CMA) and the Academy of Country Music (ACM). After nearly 20 years covering country music, Lauren Jo Black has spent her career telling the stories behind the artists, songs, and moments that have shaped the genre. Her first-ever book, Country Music Forever: An A-to-Z Celebration of Icons, Songs and Stories, brings that same passion and firsthand knowledge to the page, celebrating not only the legendary artists and timeless songs that have become the soundtrack to generations of fans, but also the places, traditions, and cultural moments that have made country music one of the most beloved genres around the world.
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