‘This Is Us’ Star Justin Hartley’s Divorce Drama Is Getting Messier by the Second
Justin Hartley and his This Is Us character Kevin Pearson may have something in common. Hartley’s love life has had some bumps just like his alter-ego. His marriage to Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause ended abruptly, and the details are a whole lot of drama.
Chrishell Stause claims Justin Hartley’s divorce news came via text
Hollywood isn’t exactly known for long-lasting relationships. Still, when Hartley and Stause met and fell in love, many wanted to believe in the fairytale.
No one knows what happened to the marriage except for Hartley and Stause. The official reason for Hartley’s divorce filing in October 2019 cited “irreconcilable differences.”
Since then, both have had a different account of what happened. Hartley stated things had been rocky for some time while Stause claimed she was “blindsighted.”
The couple’s divorce was featured in Season 3 of Netflix’s reality series, Selling Sunset, which Stause stars in. The show features real estate agents at The Oppenheim Group, which sells glamorous Hollywood homes. Stause revealed on the show that she found out about the divorce via text, as Stause told co-star Mary Fitzgerald.
“45 minutes later, the world knew,” she said. “If that’s really what you wanted, there are better ways to go about it.”
Fans can’t help but drag Hartley on social media — calling him “Justin Hartless” for the way this life-changing news allegedly went down.
“I just watched the episode about the divorce. And honey you can do much better because obviously money went to his head. And you are beautiful and can have any man” one fan replied in the comments of an old photo with Stause, Hartley, and Hartley’s daughter.
Many others chimed in on that photo and all the others with words of support and encouragement. Some pointed to the fact that Hartley scrubbed any sign of Stause from his social media — except one.
Hartley’s ex-wife weighed in
Hartley’s first wife, Lindsey Korman-Hartley took a public side when she posted to Instagram on Aug. 11.
In a day when social media should be used for positivity… an inspiration towards movement in an honest and deserving way… I’d like to join in, by highlighting my appreciation for my family,” she began. “Today, I appreciate my ex-husband Justin for not only being exemplification of a solid man but for being my dear friend and devoted father to our daughter.
Simply put; for being family. We derive our own opinion of people by experiencing life and time together, and we do our best to hold dear the ones that maintain consistent kindness, love, and generosity. No matter what conflicts Justin and I had in the past, I appreciate what we have today and I am thankful for the family we have built.
Lindsey Hartley Instagram
Korman-Hartley and Hartley starred on Passions together, but ultimately went their separate ways romantically and now co-parent their daughter, Isabella.
Hartley’s new relationship doesn’t sit well with fans
Stause and Hartley married in Oct. 2017 and Hartley filed for divorce in Nov. 2019. The actor listed their “separation” date as July 8, 2019. This leads many to believe his relationship with soap star Sofia Pernas was going on before he filed.
At the time of the filing, a source close to the couple told Entertainment Tonight they were “shocked” by the dissolution of their marriage.
“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,” they said.
Just six months after Hartley filed, he was spotted kissing Pernas, as TMZ reported. All three of the actors co-starred in The Young and the Restless in previous years. Stause’s fans have taken to all three social media accounts to comment on their disapproval of the new relationship.
“no respect for you, sorry. let a marriage respectfully end before you jump on the bandwagon,” one fan commented on Pernas’s photo.
Some comments even spilled over onto This Is Us‘s Instagram feed with some petitioning for Hartley to be fired “through text.”
Just before Selling Sunset debuted, Stause told Us Weekly how she felt about re-living those heartbreaking experiences.
“It’s an embarrassing, humiliating type of thing to go through without cameras and without people judging you, so I just hope people are gentle when they watch,” she said. “We’re real people. This was a traumatizing time in my life and it’s going to be hard for me to watch it myself.”
Likewise, a source told Us Weekly in another interview that Hartley isn’t too keen on the details of their relationship being so public.
“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.”
Everyone has a theory as to why the marriage ended — from cheating to not being on the same page from the start — but only Hartley and Stause know the truth.
