“These Are All Your Friends”: Kelsea Ballerini Gives Heartwarming Pep Talk to Boy Who Was Bullied for Liking Her Music

Kelsea Ballerini's live shows have always felt like a safe haven of sorts, where fans from all walks of life can unite and bond over their shared love of the Knoxville hitmaker's music.

This was exemplified during Kelsea Ballerini's latest Patterns tour-stop in Charlotte, North Carolina, when a sign being held up in the front row caught her attention in-between songs.

Kneeling closer to the edge, Ballerini was visibly moved as she read the sign, which belonged to a young boy in the standing section, “Oh my gosh...This sign says, ‘I'm being bullied at school for being a boy and liking you. Can we send them a selfie?’”

The ‘IF YOU GO DOWN (I'M GOIN’ DOWN TOO)’ singer-songwriter reassured the fan, “Babe. Let me tell you something, people are always going to have something to say...I promise you this, they don't know what they don't like about themselves, and so they're just projecting it onto you”, before making an amusing quip about her experience with therapy, “That's a big word, I know, I've put in so much therapy...!”

Heartwarmingly, Kelsea Ballerini went on to stress that nobody should ever have to suffer any form of bullying, “But it doesn't make it fair and it doesn't make it right, and I'm really sorry that anyone's ever said anything mean to you. That's not okay, and it's not. But you're okay, you're more than okay. Are you having a good time? That's all I care about...Is this your first concert too? Can we take a picture?”

The ‘Baggage’ crooner went on to highlight the crowd's warm reaction to the boy, “Can you hear all the screams right now? These are all your friends. We love him, right?”

It was one of the many tear-jerking moments in Kelsea Ballerini's Charlotte, North Carolina set, with the country chart-topper showcasing the vulnerability and emotional intricacy she has become synonymous with across her stellar recent projects.

During the high-energy set, Kelsea Ballerini serenaded the crowd with stand-outs from her new album, Patterns, such as ‘This Time Last Year’, ’We Broke Up’ and ‘Wait!’, along with earlier fan-favourites such as ‘Peter Pan’, ‘Hole in the Bottle’ and ‘Miss Me More’.

Attendees were even treated to a surprise performance of the pop-infused ‘I Quit Drinking’, which was released as a genre-blending collaboration with LANY back in 2021. Next, Ballerini heads to Tampa, Florida for a keenly anticipated show at the Amalie Arena.

For more on Kelsea Ballerini, see below: