Earlier this year, Kelsea Ballerini lost her dog Dibs to a battle with heart cancer. The gingerdoodle, which she named after her second #1 single, was initially given a four-month prognosis in August of 2024. Then, in January, Ballerini shared the sad news with fans.
Videos by Wide Open Country
Seeing as Ballerini's loss coincided closely with Grammy season, her stylist decided to do something special for her wardrobe. Ballerini shared the special touch that was added to her red carpet look - a heart with the name "Dibs" stitched on the inside of her dress.
"This was a surprise touch from the designers and my stylists at the final fitting," she told Cosmopolitan. "I lost my soul dog, Dibs, a few weeks ago, and having him close to my heart for the night made it feel more sentimental."
In a video on Instagram, Kelsea got emotional when one of her stylists, Mariel Haenn, showed her the inside of the dress for the first time. "That's so thoughtful," Ballerini said, in tears.
Ballerini was nominated for Best Contemporary Country Album for her 2024 project, Patterns.
Kelsea Talks Chase Stokes At the 2026 Grammy's
On January 8, Ballerini shared a tribute to Dibs on social media.
"my sweet dibs went to doggy heaven yesterday," she wrote on Instagram. "he spent his last few days in his backyard looking at the sunshine and surrounded and visited by his forever people. there are no words to articulate his role in my life, but i couldn't have done the last ten years without him, and he will always be my soul dog..."
Her boyfriend, Chase Stokes, commented in support underneath the caption, "My sweet sweet boy."
Stokes and Ballerini recently announced that they had gotten back together after breaking up in September last year. She shared with Entertainment Tonight that the couple is still going strong. She even admitted that the whole situation "looked a lot more dramatic than it was."
"We've been together for quite a while now and done a lot of life together and he was with me getting ready today," she explained. "and he'll be with me when we wrap. I love love and I believe it in it."
Ballerini and Stokes have been dating since 2023, with the exception of their brief break.
