The Strange Way Chrishell Stause Found Out How Justin Hartley Was Divorcing Her

Many fans were shocked when news broke in November 2019 that Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause are divorcing. The This Is Us actor and Selling Sunset star split after two years of marriage, and six years after they first began dating in 2013. Hartley filed papers first, leaving Stause surprised by the seemingly sudden break. As a source told People, "Yes, they'd had some problems, but she certainly never thought he would just go and suddenly file for divorce, and not even try to save things." Another source said that Hartley "is obviously very disappointed that his marriage didn't work" and that the two were "both focused on their busy careers. 

Stause's nightmare is a major plot point on Season 3 of Netflix's Selling Sunset, as seen in a new clip of the real estate reality series that hit YouTube on Aug. 6, 2020. The video shows Stause tearfully giving fellow Oppenheim Group real estate agent Mary Fitzgerald details about how the divorce unfolded, and the supposed way she learned her marriage was over is very 21st century and not very considerate. 

Curious to know more? Let's dissect the messy way in which Chrishell Stause allegedly learned about her divorce.

In a Season 3 clip of Selling Sunset, Chrishell Stause breaks down in tears as she recalls how Justin Hartley supposedly ended their marriage, with Mary Fitzgerald listening in shock as she describes the humiliating experience. "I found out because he texted me," Stause explains in the clip. "Forty-five minutes later, the world knew." 

"He just blindsided you?" Fitzgerald exclaimed.

The clip plays out like a scene from the 2009 film Up in the Air when Anna Kendrick's character, Natalie Keener, tearfully reveals to Ryan Bingham (George Clooney) and Alex Goran (Vera Farmiga) that she got broken up with via text. 

Other details about Stause's split are slim, yet strange. Hartley blamed irreconcilable differences as the reason for divorce and claimed the separation occurred on July 8, 2019, a date Stause disputed. The couple was photographed together at a Hollywood Reporter party a week before Hartley filed for divorce, with Stause posting the snapshot on Instagram. As sources told TMZ, Stause theorizes Hartley ran with an earlier separation date so he won't have to share earnings from sort of business deal he might have made. 

Either way, Stause isn't looking forward to seeing the split play out on TV. "It's obviously not something that I am looking forward to but it does follow our real life," she told Entertainment Tonight in May 2020. As for Hartley, he is reportedly dating another soap star, Sofia Pernas. C'est la vie.

Oops! It sounds like Justin Hartley isn't happy with Chrishell Stause's claim that he ended their marriage via text. "Justin has not watched the episodes but has been alerted to what is said," a source told Us Weekly on Aug. 7, 2020. "He's irritated that she's airing their private information publicly and knows there is more to the story than is being told. His close friends and family know what really happened, as does Chrishell, so ultimately it's her choice of what is put out there."

We're not sure what the other side to the story is, although an insider close to Hartley confirmed that his rapid ascent to fame wasn't a factor. "Chrishell knows that's not what happened, so for her to let people believe that is upsetting to him."

As revealed in Season 3 of Selling Sunset, Stause said she doesn't care about the glitz and glam of Hollywood. "It's not normal to meet somebody and then they become wildly famous or they become wildly rich or all these things," she shared, per Us Weekly. "I don't, at the end of the day, think that those things matter."

Talk about a messy situation! Hopefully, these two can be cordial at some point.

An especially sad part about this situation is the effect it might have on Justin Hartley's daughter from a previous marriage, Isabella Hartley (pictured right). Stause got to know Isabella — who was born in 2004 — throughout her six-year relationship with Hartley, and they obviously grew close. "Proud to be a Stepmom to the lovely @bellajustice_hartley," Stause captioned behind-the-scenes shots of the pair on her wedding day. "Love you, Bella!"

Stause revealed during an episode of Selling Sunset that she wrote Isabella a goodbye letter after the divorce, explaining, per E! News, "I love her so much and I had to write a letter to her." Aw.

Hartley hasn't spoken out about his fractured family, although he did make it clear about how he's feeling as of late. "I'm a happy guy. I sleep like a baby. I don't have anything on my mind," he told Entertainment Tonight in July 2020. "I treat people the way I want to be treated and I have lovely friends who love me and I love them. And I've got this wonderful daughter, and I've got a great family, and I am a very, very lucky, lucky individual."