Victor Webster's Ex-Wife Suffered A Tragic Loss Before Their Wedding

Victor Webster and Shantel VanSanten lived a Hallmark-esque fairytale when they got hitched. The former couple did not just have one, not two, but three separate weddings! Apparently, it's because they had to pivot to a different plan when VanSanten experienced a significant loss.

Even though Webster and VanSanten's marriage ended in divorce, their romance was one for the books. They met on the set of the Hallmark film "Love Blossoms" in 2017 and got engaged in 2021 after four years of dating. "It was the most perfect, wonderful day of my entire life," the "One Tree Hill" star told People at the time. "And I can't wait to marry my best friend." She couldn't help but gush about her former flame then, telling the outlet that he was the only one who could push her out of her comfort zone. "He has this childlike wonder when it comes to adventuring and exploring and pushing the limits and getting me to sit on the top of a 500-foot waterfall in Bali, to jump out of helicopters."

VanSanten also dished that they were planning to have a series of weddings so all their friends and family from different parts of the country could attend. "We have lots of ideas we're tossing about," she said. However, they had to recalibrate when VanSanten suddenly lost the person who was supposed to give her away to Webster — Her grandfather.

Shantel VanSanten shared with Brides that she and Victor Webster were set on having only two weddings. One near California, where they lived, and one in her hometown in Minnesota. But when her grandfather died while they were planning the nuptials, she had the idea of having a spontaneous ceremony dab smack on her grandparents' wedding anniversary.

"When my grandfather unexpectedly passed away on Father's Day, the heartbreak was unbearable; I had been planning on him walking me down the aisle in Minnesota," she explained, adding that having an intimate ceremony on her grandparents' wedding date helped her cope with the loss of her grandfather. "The idea of my grandparents being reunited and watching over our ceremony from above gave me some peace. They were married for 63 years had such a special, deep love. They were the example to me of how love is a choice and takes work. It wasn't perfect, but their love was always pure."

The wedding was as intimate as they come, with only VanSanten's mother and stepfather and Webster's mom as the attendees. And while it was small and had been put together at the last possible minute, VanSanten said that it couldn't have been more perfect. "In so many ways, I felt their presence with us," she added. "We didn't overthink it—just went with our hearts wide open. It was beyond memorable."

Sadly, Victor Webster and Shantel VanSanten's fairytale ended less than two years into the marriage. In April 2023, court documents obtained by Us Weekly noted that they separated early in the year, with Webster the one filing for the divorce. He also listed "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split.

The outlet later reported that the pair are in the middle of spousal support negotiations. As of writing, the filing noted that "the parties are in mediation and any issues regarding spousal support will be determined in mediation." They are also still deciding on how to divvy up their joint assets. "The determination and distribution of community and quasi-community property to be determined in mediation," the filing read.

Neither party has addressed the divorce, and it looks like VanSanten had deleted her socials. Meanwhile, when news of their separation broke, Soaps pointed out that Webster reposted a quote from author R.M. Drake that read: "There's nothing with being alone but at some point you're going to need someone to love. Regardless of your past or how many times you've been hurt. Sooner or later. Someone is going to find you."