Kelsea Ballerini Responds to Claims of Shading Lainey Wilson Despite Grammy Loss

The leading women of country music are all about love and support! Kelsea Ballerini had to clarify her emotions after being accused of being unsupportive of Lainey Wilson at the 2024 Grammy's on Sunday, February 4. Ballerini had lost the Best Country Album award to Wilson at the event.

On her Instagram Story on Monday, February 5, 30-year-old Kelsea put things in perspective. "It's possible to feel disappointed about your own loss, but still be happy for someone else's victory," she said. "Both feelings are viable and carry their own weight. There is no need to read into and analyze facial expressions and reactions. Every woman's victory is a victory for us all. Why not focus on that?"

Ballerini's EP, Rolling Up the Welcome Mat, was passed over for Lainey's Bell Bottom Country at the awards ceremony. Cameras captured Ballerini, a Knoxville native, clapping for 31-year-old Lainey as the latter's win was announced. Some fans, however, interpreted the look on Ballerini's face as one of disappointment and accused her of not being genuinely happy for the emerging country artist.

It was Lainey's maiden Grammy win in her first year of being nominated. Kelsea on the other hand has been nominated four times, but has yet to bag an award.

Ballerini gave her fans a pleasant surprise by releasing Rolling Up the Welcome Mat in February 2023, making the announcement just hours before its release. The album's inspiration came from her divorce from Morgan Evans, finalized in October 2022.

At the same time as she was sharing her heartbreak with fans, Ballerini was beginning a new chapter in her personal life with Outer Banks star Chase Stokes. The pair had started dating in January 2023 and went public with their relationship shortly after the release of RUTWM.

Chase, 31, had a tight filming schedule and couldn't accompany Ballerini to the Grammys in Los Angeles. Ballerini showed up alone at the event, looking stunning in a sheer dress with floral detailing and sleek ponytail. The pouring rain in L.A. had her missing the red carpet and walking to the Crypto.com Arena due to crazy traffic. She arrived just in time to hear the announcement for her category.

Even though she didn't win, Ballerini seemed to have a fun time at the event. She was seen mingling with Taylor Swift in the audience and soaking in the performances happening throughout the night.

Lainey was overwhelmed by her first Grammy win. She expressed gratitude for her roots in a farming community in northeast Louisiana. "I consider myself a farmer too, not of crops, but of stories," she explained onstage. "Everyday, we plant and water seeds of stories and watch them grow. When you're part of the right farming community, sometimes you reap a lifetime's harvest, which is what this feels like tonight."