WATCH: Kelsea Ballerini Gets Honest About Divorce From Morgan Evans In New Interview: ‘It’s Rough’
Kelsea Ballerini is speaking out for the first time on national television about her recent divorce from fellow country music…
Kelsea Ballerini; Photo Courtesy CBS
Kelsea Ballerini is speaking out for the first time on national television about her recent divorce from fellow country music singer Morgan Evans.
In an interview with CBS Mornings‘ Anthony Mason that aired on Monday (Oct. 3), the chart-topping superstar opened up about her life after divorce.
“I think when there’s a big life decision like [divorce], it’s not a sudden one and there’s a lot that happens before that becomes public. So, I’m on my active healing journey and a big part of that is showing up for this album and showing up for myself like I never have,” Ballerini, 29, said.
On August 29, Ballerini took to social media to share a statement with fans, revealing that she and Evans have separated after nearly five years of marriage.
“Friends, I’ve always tried my best to share my life with you in a real and vulnerable way, while also protecting layers of my personal life as they unfold,” Ballerini shared in the statement. ”This is now public record so I wanted you to hear from me directly that I am going through a divorce.” At the time, Ballerini continued to tell fans that it was a “deeply difficult decision” to make and is a “result of a journey of love, growth, and effort that ultimately has come to an end.”
The “Heartfirst” singer then added that she will always cherish the memories that she and Evans made together. “It’s hard to find the words here…but I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons,” Ballerini added. “With very active schedules coming up, please be mindful that we are both fragile, actively healing, and showing up the best we can.”
While chatting with Mason, Ballerini also shared that she is “really proud” of herself for going against her desire to make everyone around her happy.
“I’m a peacemaker, we’ve talked about this before and I’m a people pleaser, so to do something that kind of goes against those two things is really difficult.”
She then admitted, “It’s rough. It’s also rough like it’s not chaotic, it’s not like volatile, it just didn’t work out and that sometimes is like a difficult narrative to get your head around when you’re just like ‘oh my gosh, this is a good person and I’m a good person and this is just no longer good anymore.’”
In addition, Ballerini also acknowledged that you can often feel like a failure after a divorce saying, “It’s easy to shame yourself and it’s easy to want to hide and I just want to be proud of myself in 10 years on this season of my life. This is not just a heavy time in my life. This is also a celebratory time in my life. I don’t want to shade that because that’s important to feel.”
On September 3, Ballerini shared a vulnerable clip of herself on TikTok, documenting “a complex time” in her life. The clip, soundtracked to Katie Gregson-MacLeod’s “Complex (demo),” found Ballerini sitting naked, wearing only jewelry, in a bathtub full of water with black eyeliner and mascara running down her cheeks, presumably from crying. As the emotional clip continues, Ballerini lays back and submerges herself in the water.
During the interview on CBS Mornings, Ballerini was asked about the clip and her decision to share such a personal moment of sadness with fans.
“It was my weekend to fall apart,” Ballerini explained, before adding, “I just wanted people to remember that I’m feeling my feelings too and it’s a lot. It’s a lot.”
In addition to discussing her recent divorce from Evans, Ballerini chatted about her 10-city Heartfirst Tour, which kicked off on September 24 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
“I have made this show, if I do say so myself, really special. It’s almost like a Broadway musical,” Ballerini said, before admitting that she loves getting to bring her new album, Subject To Change, to life within her live performance. “I love it! It’s getting to bring it to life. This thing that I’ve worked in the studio on for two years.”
Ballerini’s Heartfirst Tour continues through October 14, where the trek will wrap up at Premier Theater inside Foxwoods Resort Casino.
While Ballerini may have released her latest project just a few weeks ago, she is already putting her feelings into words as she works on new music.
“[I am writing], I have to, it’s like healthy for me to just go ahead and get it on out, but I’m doing it for me. I don’t know if I’ll ever put it out, I don’t know when I’ll put something else out. I need a break after this. I need to get my life together,” Ballerini said laughing. “Chapters… You have to write ’em then you have to finish ’em then you got to turn the page.”
For tickets and additional information on Kelsea Ballerini’s Heartfirst Tour, visit www.heartfirsttour.com.
Lauren Jo Black, a University of Central Florida graduate, has immersed herself in the world of country music for over 15 years. In 2008, she co-founded CountryMusicIsLove, eventually selling it to a major record label in 2015. Following the rebranding of the website to Sounds Like Nashville, Black served as Editor-in-Chief for two and a half years. Currently, she assumes the role of Editor-in-Chief at Country Now and oversees Country Now’s content and digital footprint. Her extensive experience also encompasses her previous role as a Country Music Expert Writer for Answers.com and her work being featured on Forbes.com. She’s been spotlighted among Country Aircheck’s Women of Influence and received the 2012 Rising Star Award from the University of Central Florida. Black also spent time in front of the camera as host of Country Now Live, which brought live music directly to fans in 2021 when the majority of concerts were halted due to the pandemic. During this time, she hosted 24 weeks of live concerts via Country Now Live on Twitch with special guests such as Lady A, Dierks Bentley, Jordan Davis, Brett Young, and Jon Pardi. Over the course of her career, she has had the privilege of conducting interviews with some of the industry’s most prominent stars, including Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton, Luke Combs, Carrie Underwood, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson, and many others. Lauren Jo Black is a longtime member of the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music.
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