Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Kelsea Ballerini Announces Death of ‘Soul Dog’ Dibs After Long Cancer Fight

Her tribute closes a public chapter of his illness, with memorial posts to follow on his dedicated account.

Overview

  • Kelsea Ballerini said on Jan. 8 that Dibs died the previous day, sharing an Instagram carousel celebrating his life.
  • She wrote that he spent his final days in the backyard “looking at the sunshine” and surrounded by his “forever people,” calling him the greatest gift of her life.
  • Dibs was diagnosed in August 2024 with inoperable cancer in his heart, and Ballerini later reported an unexpected surgery in September 2025.
  • A post on Dibs’ own Instagram account noted he was “cancer free now,” with Ballerini saying the family will use the page to share photos and videos.
  • Fans and peers posted condolences, and Chase Stokes reposted her tribute and added his own messages, as coverage revisited that Dibs inspired her 2016 No. 1 country airplay hit “Dibs.”