Chase Stokes is peeling back the outer layers of his love story.
The Outer Banks star gave an inside look at his sweet relationship with Kelsea Ballerini ahead of their first anniversary in January, praising the country star for staying true to herself in the spotlight.
"The same person that I sit down in the living room with and have dinner on the floor with and who makes me laugh," he told Entertainment Weekly in a Dec. 14 article, "is the exact same person you're seeing on stage. There is no filter."
Chase noted that a lot of celebrities will put on a mask "because it's scary to be vulnerable and to be soft with the world," whereas the "Penthouse" singer tries to be an open book—even following her 2022 divorce from Morgan Evans.
"This year, in particular, she found that being soft and being present and being vulnerable has allowed her to grow and has allowed her to heal," he shared. "It's allowed her acceptance, it's allowed her a little bit of calm throughout a storm in her life, and I've learned a lot from her in watching her stay soft."
The actor noted that Kelsea has been "really proud of herself" for being vulnerable through it all.
"She literally is the best person on planet earth," he continued. "Every day together is either a comedy show or a life talk that I didn't know I needed to have that ended up being something I'll never forget. I just love the girl to pieces and I'm so f---king proud of her."
For a complete look at their romance—that makes her heart feel like wild horses in her chest—keep reading.