Kelsea Ballerini came to her ex-husband Morgan Evans’s defense in the middle of her show.
The 31-year-old singer, who is currently on tour, was performing at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida on Sunday.
However, Ballerini paused mid-song while singing her hit track “Penthouse” at the venue.
“It hurts putting s*** in a box / And now we don’t talk / And it stings rolling up the welcome mat / knowing you got half,” she sang.
While many fans shouted the lyric, “knowing you got half,” some were also heard screaming “f*** you, Morgan” — referring to her ex, who she divorced in 2022.
Ballerini – who’s now dating Outer Banks star Chase Stokes — stopped singing and told the crowd: “Guys, you’ve got to stop saying that. Seriously.”
“We’re three years past it,” she said, referring to her and Evans’s split. “Everything’s fine now. I sing this song for you now. It’s not about me anymore, please.”
She then stepped further up on the stage and asked fans: “Alright, for everyone who’s moving forward with their life, will you sing this with me?” The concertgoers cheered in response before Ballerini continued singing the tune.
In the comments of the post on TikTok, fans praised the “Cowboys Cry Too” singer for her reaction.
“I love that she called them out. THATS healing,” one wrote, while another added: “I’m in agreement if the artist has asked to stop, especially multiple times, fans should respect it. Yell out your own ex name. It’s not that hard.”
@carlyrsilverman Update: I didn’t even hear what she was talking about until the comments! Good for her! #kelseaballerini #kelseaballeriniconcert #kelseaballerinitok #kelseaballerinipenthouse #penthouse #kelseaballerinilive
♬ original sound - Carly Silverman
“I see her in April, and I swear if I don’t get to scream this with her because people ruin it by saying ‘f u morgan’… I’m going to be UPSETTTT,” a third wrote.
Ballerini announced her breakup in August 2022 after nearly five years of marriage, writing on Instagram: “I feel extremely grateful for the years of marriage to Morgan and hopeful for the next seasons. With very active schedules coming up, please be mindful that we are both fragile, actively healing and showing up the best we can.”
Months after her divorce was finalized in November 2022, Ballerini and Stokes went public with their relationship. During an interview with StylerCaster in July 2023, she touched upon the backlash she received following her divorce and the release of Evans’s single “Over for You,” in which he sang about feeling blindsided by their divorce.
“Who you marry is not who you divorce,” she said.
“I’ve done this for a decade. I’ve done the work. But the eyeballs on the rest of my life is new, so I’m giving myself a lot of grace. All the things that I’ve always done are because that’s actually who I am at my core. [But] I am actively working to protect the normalcy.”
