Why did Chrishell and Justin Hartley get divorced? What Netflix's Selling Sunset didn't show

In Selling Sunset season three's final episodes, Chrishell Stause's divorce from This Is Us star Justin Hartley came as a surprise to not only fans, but her colleagues, too.

We knew it was coming as the headlines emerged during filming of season three, and many of us were hoping for a much-needed explanation as to what happened.

In Selling Sunset, Chrishell explains she was "blind-sided" by Justin's move, especially when he informed her of the life-changing news via text.

According to her Selling Sunset cast mates, it's been a tough time for Chrishell, with Heather Rae Young calling the divorce "devastating".

The broker told Buzzfeed: "I was shocked, we all thought it was a joke." She went on to explain how everything was "fine" and the couple seemed happy.

Meanwhile, The Oppenheim Group's owner Jason admitted Chrishell is having a "difficult time" seeing such emotional scenes on screen again.

He told Express: "That was one of the most difficult times of her life and now she's forced to relive it, right. I can't imagine how difficult that is.

“Not only on camera, not only when, you know when she watches it, but also when the press, you know, picks every little thing apart," he added. “And people have had all their judgments – it is extremely difficult."

So what actually happened between Chrishell and Justin? We've done some digging and this is what we discovered.

Why did Chrishell and Justin get divorced?

In November 2019, headlines emerged via TMZ saying Justin Hartley had filed for divorce. The pair were seemingly getting on just fine, and Chrishell never complained once on Selling Sunset about their relationship - and the cast were just as surprised to hear about it while at work.

At the time, the actor (known for This Is Us) cited there were "irreconcilable differences" between the pair and they actually separated on 8th July 2019. This is where it gets interesting - Chrishell and Justin were pictured at the Emmy Awards on 22nd September, a Veyve Clicquot Polo Match in LA on 5th October and a pre-Golden Globes party on 14th November, according to People.

On Selling Sunset's third season, Mary pays a visibly heartbroken Chrishell just days after her divorce, where she sits in a hotel trying to work out what to do next. Chrishell tells her colleague she found out about the divorce just 45 minutes before Justin filed, saying he didn't give her a chance to fight for their love.

To make matters worse, Chrishell claims Justin told her via text, though her former husband has declined to comment on that.

But why did Justin divorce Chrishell? Well that remains a little bit of a mystery as neither side has commented public on the ins and outs of their issues.

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In December 2019, People reported that Chrishell had filed for a dissolution of marriage in December, an event she marked with a telling quote on Instagram which read: "It's hard to watch people change right in front of you. But it's even harder remembering who they used to be."

In July 2020, Justin spoke to Entertainment Tonight about being "a happy guy". He added: "I don't have anything on my mind. 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."

Selling Sunset seasons 1-2 are streaming now on Netflix – check out our lists of the best series on Netflix and the best movies on Netflix, or see what else is on with our TV Guide.