Chase Stokes was thrilled to be at the 2026 Oscars. In fact, the Outer Banks star decided to change up his look for the March 15 ceremony hosted by Conan O'Brien, stepping out onto the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood with a buzzed haircut and noticeably longer beard.
Embracing the black-tie dress code with a playful twist, Chase wore a double-breasted, velvet burgundy tuxedo jacket from Dunhill with black dress pants and matching patent leather shoes. "It was a choice," he said of his attire during a red-carpet interview with Amelia Dimoldenberg. "Everybody seems to go black tonight. So, I was like, 'Let's switch it up.'"
Despite his dashing appearance, the 33-year-old couldn't help but feel starstruck on movie's biggest night, which saw Michael B. Jordan, Jessie Buckley, Sean Penn, and Amy Madigan win the top acting awards. "I don't know who I bribed," he joked, "but here we are."
The glamorous affair was a well-deserved break for Chase after wrapping up the fifth and final season of Outer Banks in December. "It's really bittersweet," he told Amelia. "You got to know when to let go of everything great in life – and it's time to land the plane. You don't want to stay when the lights are on and 'Closing Time' comes on."
Other recent major changes in Chase's life include his breakup with Kelsea Ballerini, whom he dated for over two years. The pair initially broke up last fall but confirmed their reconciliation in late December before splitting again earlier this year.
Though Chase has not publicly spoken out about his latest breakup with the country singer, he did have heated words for her ex-husband Morgan Evans over a recent interview about their 2022 divorce. "This is about the most pathetic excuse of masculinity I've ever seen," Chase wrote in a now-deleted Instagram comment shared by Bobby Bones, who interviewed Morgan. "Get a f**king life."
However, Bobby defended Morgan for speaking out about his past with Kelsea, who the "Kiss Somebody" artist said was the one to initiate the divorce. "I thought it came off really well," Bobby argued. "I thought he was very kind in his description of events. There are two stories, right? There's his story, her story, and the real story. So, I think the interview came off good."
