On her own terms. Chrishell Stause has been open about her motherhood journey and how that has shifted over the years.
After tying the knot with Justin Hartley in 2017, the Days of Our Lives alum revealed that they weren’t in a rush to expand their family.
“We don’t know [when] yet,” Stause exclusively told Us Weekly in May 2019 about their future plans to have kids. “I have a stepdaughter (Justin shares daughter Isabella with ex Lindsay Korman), so we’ve got our hands full with high school.”
Six months later, Hartley filed for divorce — which Stause claimed during season 3 of Selling Sunset that she only found out through a text message. Us broke the news that their divorce was finalized in January 2021.
Later that year, the Dancing With the Stars alum made headlines when she went public with her relationship with boss Jason Oppenheim. While filming season 5 of the hit Netflix series in July 2021, Stause posted an Instagram photo of the couple packing on the PDA during a trip to Italy.
Oppenheim, for his part, confirmed the romance in a statement to Us, explaining, “Chrishell and I became close friends and it has developed into an amazing relationship. I care about her deeply and we’re very happy together.”
Days after the cast wrapped work on season 5 in December 2021, Us confirmed that the pair decided to go their separate ways. The broker addressed the breakup that same day, noting that they “have different wants regarding a family.”
“While Chrishell and I are no longer together, we remain best friends we will always love and support one another. She was the most amazing girlfriend I’ve ever had, and it was the happiest and most fulfilling relationship of my life,” he wrote via his Instagram Story at the time. “Chrishell is an exceptional human being and loving her and having her in my life is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
Stause, for her part, also explained that the “incredible relationship” came to an end because of their views on parenthood.
“I have tried to embrace the world I have found myself in and that includes being open and honest about my relationships. It felt scary and terrifying knowing that it may not end in what society deems a success and what I am ultimately looking for. But after many long heartfelt talks, I am choosing to see it as a success no matter what label is attached to it publicly,” she wrote in December 2021. “Jason was and is my best friend, and other than our ideas for family ultimately not being aligned, the amount of respect and love we have for each other will not change going forward.”
While thanking Oppenheim for being “consistently” honest with her even “when it hurts,” Stause reflected on how “men have the luxury of time that women don’t.”
“All of that being said, navigating this public terrain is difficult and I am just trying my best. No one would rather only speak about work related things more than me. But I understand this comes with it and I will always love and be extremely grateful for opportunities I have been given,” she added. “Although my initial reaction to a private situation was to not speak on it, sometimes it’s easier to just live transparently because we only get one chance at this life. I very much hope to one day have a family and decisions I make at this point are with that goal in mind. Thank you for the kindness and support to those that understand.”
Scroll down for everything that Stause said about her plans to start a family ahead of her split from Oppenheim:
