Justin Hartley & Chrishell Stause's Photos Never Hinted There Was Trouble In Paradise
Celebrity relationships and friendships are a rare breed. These famous faces have their lives played out in front of the masses, whether it’s the good, the bad, or the straight-up shady. In Elite Daily’s It’s Complicatedseries, we’re highlighting the biggest celebrity "feuds" that took over Hollywood and dominated our Sunday brunches for weeks on end. We’ll take a deep dive into the lives and social media feeds of our favorite stars and dissect what happened in front of the camera, what went down behind the scenes, and everything you might have missed in between.
News of Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause's breakup has been lingering for months. Fans were shocked when Hartley filed for divorce in November 2019, seemingly out of nowhere. Since the actor is staying mum about the situation and the real estate reality star is only revealing a few choice details on Season 3 of Selling Sunset, Justin Hartley and Chrishell Stause's photos together through the years would seemingly be the next best destination to glean insight into their relationship. But when it comes to this couple, their photos tell an entirely different story from what was going on behind the scenes.
Hartley filed for divorce from Stause after two years of marriage on Nov. 22, 2019, citing “irreconcilable differences," according to court documents obtained by Us Weekly. When it came time for Stause to speak out about the split on Selling Sunset, she claimed she was blindsided by Hartley's decision to end their marriage and that he ultimately told her he filed the paperwork via text message. Hartley and Stause's teams did not respond To Elite Daily's request for comment on the details of their divorce filing.
Hartley reportedly listed July 2019 as their separation date on his divorce filing, which suggests there was trouble in paradise long before news of the split became public. However, their photos together at that time told a different story, further proving one never really knows what's going on behind the veil in Hollywood.
Dec. 31, 2013: A New Couple In Love
Stause's first photo with Hartley shows the couple enjoying the sunshine in their bathing suits. The pic was posted shortly after they met through a mutual friend at a concert and, according to Hartley's account of the night to People, it was love at first sight.
Jan. 9, 2014: Red Carpet Debut
This couple wasn't taking things slow. Not long after going public with their relationship on social media, Stause and Hartley walked their first red carpet together at the 5th Annual Los Angeles Unbridled Eve Derby Prelude Party.
Jul. 25, 2015: So Much Fun Together
Most of Stause and Hartley's Instagram pictures together (well, the ones they didn't delete after their divorce) painted a picture of a couple who didn't take themselves to seriously, loved hanging out, and weren't above geeking out over Game of Thrones.
2017: A Year of Wedded Bliss
Hartley and Stause seemed to soak up every minute of their wedding year together, attending several events arm-in-arm. They stepped out dressed to the nines for a date night at Catch in West Hollywood in June. Then, after tying the knot on Oct. 18, 2017, they embraced the red carpet at the Bad Moms Christmas premiere in November and the Moet Celebrates The 75th Anniversary of The Golden Globes Award Season soiree later that month.
Sept. 17, 2018: The Couple Is Still Shining
Hartley and Stause looked super happy at the 2018 Emmy Awards. With Hartley's star rising because of his role on This Is Us and Stause's career taking off with the impending release of her Netflix reality show, Selling Sunset, the couple had a lot to celebrate.
But in a Season 3 episode of Selling Sunset, Stause hinted Hartley's fame was taking a toll on their relationship behind the scenes. "I think a lot has changed in the six years that we were together and then the two years we were married, a lot has changed," Stause said. "I didn’t care about all that stuff. I met him before all of that ... It’s just annoying because then you get rid of the people that [were there before]. One day that’s gonna go away."
Jan. 6, 2019: A Doting Husband
Months before their separation in July, Hartley was at Stause's service as they walked the 2019 Golden Globes red carpet, fixing her dress as she posed for photos.
July 31, 2019: Still Making Public Appearances
Despite citing July 2019 as the month they separated in his divorce filing, the pair still hit the red carpet hand-in-hand at The Hollywood Foreign Press Association's Annual Grants Banquet that month.
Nov. 14, 2019: No Hint of Trouble
Days before news of their split broke, Stause and Hartley posed together for photos at The Hollywood Reporter and Moet Chandon's Golden Globe party. Stause captioned a snap from the event, "Amazing time with this group last night," not giving a single hint that anything was wrong.
On Selling Sunset, Stause claims Hartley filed for divorce a week later, following a fight the couple had over the phone and alerted her to the news via text. That's proof positive you never know what's going on behind closed doors.
