Chrishell Stause has opened up about her side of the divorce from estranged husband, This Is Us star Justin Hartley.
As a refresher, news broke in November of 2019 that Justin and Chrishell were getting divorced after two years of marriage.
According to the divorce papers Justin filed at the time, the reason for the divorce was “irreconcilable differences.” The date of separation was listed as July 8, 2019 – however, the two were still attending public events together long after they separated. Chrishell posted photos of the two of them hitting up The Hollywood Reporter Golden Globe Party on November 14, a week before news of their split made headlines.
People close to the couple were “completely shocked” by the divorce news, a source told Entertainment Tonight at the time. “The couple has always been incredible, with no signs of things being on the rocks. Friends are speculating this was an impulse on Justin’s side due to something that happened, and are hopeful the couple can work things out.”
Apparently, the split came as a surprise to just about everyone – including Chrishell.
The actress-turned-realtor finally opened up about her side of the divorce in Season 3 of the Netflix reality show Selling Sunset, saying she was “blindsided” by the sudden turn of events.
“I thought we were totally fine,” she told her friend Mary Fitzgerald. “I found out because he texted me… that we were filed. Forty-five minutes later, the world knew.”
“I know people were saying like, we were only married two years, but it’s like, we were together for six years!” Chrishell continued. “In a fight, like, that’s his go-to. ‘I’m out! I’m out!’ I hate that kind of impulsive stuff, but I always thought, that’s just an issue we’ll work through. … If that’s really what you wanted, there are better ways to go about [it].”
“I talked to him right after, ’cause I thought that must be a joke, but that was kinda the end of the communication,” she says. “What am I supposed to say? What would, what do you say after that? It’s like now, I have to find a place to live. Now I have to scramble and figure this out, you know?”
Back in May, Chrishell addressed the divorce in an interview, and gave some insight into the timing of their split.
“it’s unfortunate the way that everything happened,” she told ET, sharing, “I still had a month to go of shooting the show when this all went down.”
Noting that she “really truly loved” Justin, she later added, “Hopefully we can get to a place where one day we will look back at this and laugh, I don’t know… hopefully. It’s very unfortunate and relationships are hard.”
Selling Sunset Season 3 dropped Friday (August 7), and, over the weekend, fans went on Twitter to express their feelings about the way Justin supposedly handled the split.
“This n—- Justin Hartley TEXTED Chrishell that he was divorcing her?!? #SellingSunset,” one person tweeted.
“Chrishell didn’t deserve the fake snow assaulting her, ok!? Justin Fartley ended their marriage over a TEXT and she STILL came to support her bully’s wedding…WHILE dying on the inside?! AND DAVINA HAD THE NERVE?! NOT THIS. #SellingSunset,” another wrote, referencing her Chrishell’s co-star Davina Potratz.
While Chrishell appreciated the support, she also asked fans to dial down a bit with the criticisms.
“I SO appreciate all the love you guys have given for #SellingSunset 🙌🏽wow! That being said, some of you are attacking a certain person in defending me. I appreciate the sentiment because certain things made me mad too. But I hate feeling like someone is getting bullied,” she tweeted.
“Want to help empower women and if my tweet has any say at all I just hope you can keep the passion but maybe minus the vitriol..?” Chrishell added. “Love you guys SO much though and LOVE your enthusiam!”
Justin Chrishell and Justin’s divorce is yet to be finalized in court.
