Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause: A Relationship Timeline, From “I Do” to Divorce
We revisit the golden couple’s romance, for better or worse.
It seems like only yesterday that This Is Us leading man Justin Hartley (ex-Adam, The Young and the Restless) was waxing romantic on the occasion of his first anniversary with bride Chrishell Stause (ex-Jordan, Days of our Lives). “The best day, the best friends, the best wife!” he captioned an Instagram wedding video on October 28, 2018. “Let’s do 300 million more” anniversaries!
Ah, but it wasn’t to be. In November of 2019, People confirmed that the couple had split, with a source adding that, “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.”
Stause was left “dreading” having to relive the unspooling of her marriage as it aired during the recently-released Season 2 of her Netflix reality show, Selling Sunset. “If I’m being 100-percent honest with you,” she told ET Canada in May, “it’s friggin’ awkward.”
And heartbreaking. In a preview for Season 3 (out August 7), the actress/realtor tearfully admits, “I’m just kind of in shock with it all.” Us, too. So, rather than dwell on the unhappy ending of the Hartleys’ fairy-tale romance, Soaps.com is going to rewind to the beginning and middle, when they went from new acquaintances to significant others to blissful marrieds with the world at their feet.
Just keep scrolling, and we’ll flash back to better days (and, while you’re in the neighborhood, click here to subscribe to Soaps.com’s daily newsletter).
2013: A Lasting First Impression
Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley at The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards
Credit: © Jill Johnson/jpistudios.com
In a 2017 interview with People, Hartley said that when his future wife was hired at Days, he took notice and spoke about her with a friend who was one of her new castmates (maybe former Passions co-star Galen Gering or Eric Martsolf?). After their first date, “I kinda knew right away,” he said, “that I was like, ‘Oh boy, here we go.’”
2016: He Liked It, So He Put a Ring On It
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After dating Stause for two years, Hartley got down on one knee and popped the question. “I could not be happier,” he told toofab a month later. “And she said yes!” The bride-to-be shared the news on Instagram, jokingly captioning a photo of herself — and her engagement ring — “You guys think I need sunscreen?”
2017: ‘Altared’ State
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The couple became the Hartleys the day before Halloween three years ago in a gorgeous outdoor ceremony at Malibu’s Calamigos Ranch. Among the guests wishing them well were the This Is Us star’s on-screen parents, Mandy Moore and Milo Ventimiglia, and his daughter from his first marriage, to his former Passions leading lady, Lindsay Korman (Theresa).
2019: … and They Say Romance Is Dead!
Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause at the 25th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards
Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Variety/Shutterstock
Last year, the honeymoon seemed to be anything but over for the Hartleys. She told Us in March that she was her husband’s “biggest fan,” adding, “I get a kick out of when people see how great he is.” In turn, he revealed to the magazine that, since he’s an early bird, when he hears his missus stirring, “I get espresso going. She really loves that I do that.”
2019: The Gold Standard
Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause at the 71st Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
Credit: Christopher Polk/Variety/Shutterstock
Though This Is Us didn’t strike gold at the Emmys in September, “I am taking him home,” Stause posted in a caption on Instagram, “so looks like I am the big winner tonight!” Then, proving that she’s as funny as she is beautiful, she added, “I now also win the cheesy-caption award if there is an award for that — double winner! Sorry, guys, they serve alcohol here.”
2019: Say It Ain’t So
Chrishell Stause on Selling Sunset
Just two months later, the news broke that Hartley had filed for divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. “He’s reached a new level of fame thanks to [This Is Us],” a source told People, “and he doesn’t want to close many doors right now.” On the other hand, his missus “thought babies would happen… but it just hasn’t worked out.” You can say that again.
2021: The Marrying Man
After Hartley and girlfriend Sofia Pernas (ex-Marisa, The Young and the Restless) walked the red carpet at the MTV TV & Movie awards on May 16, People.com — noting the pair’s new rings — revealed that the couple had “recently” tied the knot.
Before you go, click through our slideshow of other real-life soap couple breakups and divorces that rocked our world.
