Carly Pearce Is ‘Proud’ Of Kelsea Ballerini For ‘Laying It All Out There’ Amid Divorce

Carly Pearce and Kelsea Ballerini have both endured public divorces, but through it all, Pearce admits they’ve had each other’s back.

After just two years of marriage, Pearce filed for divorce from fellow country star, Michael Ray, in 2020. This heartbreaking chapter of her life inspired her painfully honest collection, 29: Written In Stone. 

During this trying time, the songstress was putting her emotions on display through songwriting, and Ballerini was right by her side to lend some much-needed support. Pearce got the chance to return the favor to Ballerini, who announced her own divorce from Morgan Evans in August of 2022.

“I think Kelsea was one of the very first people that I told I was filing for divorce, and I was one of the first people she told when she was filing,” the singer told Taste of Country Nights‘ Evan Paul.

Much like the “What He Didn’t Do” singer, fans were heavily invested in Ballerini and Evans’ breakup, leaving them little room to grieve on their own. Once the tables had turned, Pearce was ready to step up to help her friend and give her the same confidence to speak openly about her experience, just as Ballerini did for her a few years back. 

“It’s hard to go through things like this publicly, and she gave me a lot of confidence back when she didn’t even know that this was gonna be a part of her story, too,” Pearce added. “So it’s been a really interesting full circle moment for me now to kind of boost her up and tell her that she can do it.”

Following the recent divorce, Ballerini dropped her Subject To Change album, which features several nods to the breakup along with some more uplifting tunes like the collaborative track with Pearce and Kelly Clarkson, “YOU”RE DRUNK, GO HOME.”

Meanwhile, Evans opened up about his side of the story when he unveiled his heartbreaking song, “Over For You.”

Ballerini followed up with a deeply reflective EP and short film titled, Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. This project matched the energy of Pearce’s 29 as it unleashes a slew of pent-up emotions surrounding the major shift in her life.

While it may have been a challenge to tap into those emotions and put her heart on display with the world, Pearce expressed great pride for her friend’s ability to do so. 

“I’m proud of her for just laying it all out there and doing what she needed to do to get through a season of her life that’s very hard to do in the public eye,” Pearce told the outlet.

The “Love Is A Cowboy” singer and Pearce have both found the strength to move forward with their love lives. Pearce is now with her boyfriend, Nashville Realtor and former MLB player Riley King, and Ballerini has been spending her time with Outerbanks star, Chase Stokes.

Rumors of their budding romance began when the pair were captured side-by-side in a group photo at the National College Football Championship in mid-January.