Selling Sunset: Inside Chrishell Stause's Life And Career
Netflix's "Selling Sunset" gives viewers a peak into the affluent lives and careers of the stunning real estate agents who work at The Oppenheim Group. The docu-series, produced by the creator of "The Hills," features women in tight dresses and Louboutins selling mansions to millionaires in Los Angeles. But it's not just the over-the-top real estate and designer fashion that makes the show so addicting. The relationships between the stars of the show are far more turbulent than the Los Angeles housing market — and nobody knows that better than Chrishell Stause.
Stause is no stranger to brokering million-dollar deals — she's been closing major deals long before reality tv came knocking. The Kentucky native was a successful actor long before her debut on "Selling Sunset," making her big break into acting on the popular soap series "All My Children." She's had her fair share of scrutinized relationships in the public eye, whether it be her ongoing feud with cast-mate Christine Quinn or the unraveling of her marriage to her ex-husband and "This Is Us" star Justin Hartley.
But despite her publicized ups and downs, her resilience and honesty make her that much more relatable to her fans. She wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth (she has admitted to being homeless during her childhood) and she's quick to check any haters that think she's had her career handed to her. From sleeping in tents to buying her own mansion in the Hollywood Hills (and everything in between), we're breaking down the life and career of Chrishell Stause.
She was homeless as a child
Given her luxurious lifestyle, it's hard to picture Chrishell Stause ever being homeless. The "Selling Sunset" star has been open about her rocky upbringing, releasing her memoir "Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took A Little Work" detailing her childhood. "[P]eople see me now and assume I was born in a $20 million LA Mansion," writes the actor (via Heavy) "instead of being someone whose childhood was filled with eviction notices and who spent time living in an abandoned schoolhouse that had a leaky roof and a room full of old, creepy dolls in it."
The "All My Children" star and her five sisters slept on mildewy mattresses as their parents squatted their way through vacant properties and struggled with their own demons. She described the harrowing experience of being involved in the Worldwide Church of God, comparing it to a cult. "They forbade members from celebrating birthdays and Christmas, and they would randomly make house calls to make sure you were still earning your way to heaven," writes Stause. She admitted that her parents got involved in the community when she was just 10 years old.
Despite years of washing her hair in rivers, Stause believes it's those experiences that made her the woman she is today. She spends her free time giving back to charity and volunteering with Los Angeles Mission to help provide meals to those in need. "This is a cause close to my heart," she wrote on Instagram after working a Thanksgiving event for the charity.
She got her big break as a soap star
After growing up in a small Kentucky town, Chrishell Stause went on to get her Bachelor's degree in theatre at Murray State University, according to Soap Central. Just two years after graduating, she landed her break-out role as Amanda Dillon on ABC's "All My Children." She was a series regular on the show for more than five years until the show was canceled in 2011, and then went on to land the role of Jordan Ridgeway in "Days of Our Lives" in 2013.
Stause spoke about her versatility in playing the two very different characters in an interview with TV Line at the time. "Amanda was more like the underdog you rooted for who always bumbled along making all the wrong decisions, but with the best intentions at times. Jordan comes onto the canvas strong, very smart, very take-charge, all business — which Amanda never was." Stause landed a recurring role on "The Young and the Restless" in 2016 but ultimately returned to "Days of Our Lives" in 2019. She was nominated for several Daytime Emmys, and took home a Soap Central Dankies award for "Most Attractive Female Star" on "All My Children."
According to People, the soap star is brushing up her acting chops yet again for her role in the Lifetime movie "A Rose for Her Grave," which is set to debut in 2023. The film is based on the true crime novel by Ann Rule which tells the true story of serial killer Randy Roth.
She lost both of her parents to cancer
Chrishell Stause has dealt with her fair share of heartbreak. The "Selling Sunset" star opened up about dealing with the loss of both of her parents just a year apart from each other on Instagram writing "Today is #worldcancerday and it was 2 years to the day that I found out my mom was suffering from the same lung cancer that took my dad the year before. PLEASE get your checkups and second opinions." Stause went on to offer her condolences to those struggling with the disease, wishing she and her family caught it sooner so they could have spent more time with their parents.
The "Days of Our Lives" actor finds comfort in her sisters Sabrina and Shonda, whom she frequently posts with on Instagram. "Loved spending the weekend with my family in Kentucky," Chrishell captioned one photo. The siblings even took a trip to Hawaii together in 2019 where Sabrina posted a photo with Shonda and Chrishell writing "Ohana" alongside a heart emoji. Shonda was even featured in Season 3 of "Selling Sunset," giving her younger sister a shoulder to cry on when going through a difficult divorce. Her older sister is a mother of three and is one of Chrishell's biggest inspirations. "They have been married so long and they have this beautiful family," Chrishell said in Season 3 (via Distractify.) "It helps me be inspired to know that it might be out there."
Real estate isn't her sole focus
While it's obvious Chrishell Stause had paved her way in the real estate industry, she's admitted that it's no longer her main focus. The tv-personality spoke to W Magazine in August of 2022 saying, "As of June, I think I've done seven deals so far in real estate [this year]. It's not a ton of deals. I obviously could be doing a lot more if that were my sole focus, but it isn't. I try to only take the jobs that are going to be filming on the show, or involve people I've worked with in the past."
Stause credits acting to be her first love, ever since she decided to pursue it professionally in 2005. It's much different playing a villain as a character than it is being painted as one on reality tv. "You're playing a character and you're not responsible for whether people hate a character who's really mean or crazy. That means you did a good job!" she told W Magazine.
She went through a nasty public divorce
It's love at first sight for some, but for actors Chrishell Stause and Justin Hartley, it was love on the "Days of Our Lives" set. According to People, the pair had met in passing but it wasn't until they were reintroduced in 2013 by mutual friends on set that sparks flew. "The next day, I texted my friend: 'I found him,'" the tv star gushed to People at the time. The pair made their red carpet debut in 2014 and tied the knot in 2017.
In a huge blindside, Stause found out her then-husband filed for divorce via a text message citing irreconcilable differences. The "This Is Us" star confused fans when he cited the date of separation as early July after the pair had already attended multiple red carpet events together, including one just "a week before the filing," according to People.
Stause's divorce became a storyline on the show, but she's taken the scrutiny that comes with her celebrity status in stride. "I didn't mind my love life being public because it was something I was so proud of. I always wanted to have a family, and at the time I thought I was with the love of my life. However, I never could have predicted how it all came crashing down so forcefully," the "Days of Our Lives" star wrote in her memoir (via Us Weekly.) Hartley moved on to his and Stause's former soap co-star Sofia Pernas just six months after the split.
She sold her wedding ring to help pay for a new house
Some get mad, some get even, and some get million-dollar houses in the Hollywood Hills. The latter is true for Chrishell Stause, who cashed in her old wedding ring from her marriage to Justin Hartley to buy herself her dream home. The "Selling Sunset" star sat down with Kelly Clarkson on the Kelly Clarkson Show and detailed how she remained positive in the midst of heartbreak. "When sometimes life gives you lemons, sometimes you've gotta add a little vodka," Stause teased when Clarkson asked her if deciding to sell her ring was therapeutic. "I was trying to, you know, make the best out of a situation," she admitted.
The reality tv personality purchased a stunning ranch-style home nestled in the hills for $3.3 million, according to Us Weekly. The four-bedroom and four-and-a-half-bath home feature a sprawling pool, cabana, and epic views. "New house. Who dis? 😜😆#dreamhome #homeowner #AHHHHHHH" the actor captioned an Instagram photo at the time, posing all smiles next to her pool.
Just because she's secured her home doesn't mean Stause can't throw a little shade. The "Selling Sunset" star returned revitalized to the show after her messy divorce. "I mean, if he wants to have 50 wives, go live your best life because I really feel like I am. ... Once you know something wasn't right, whether it was your decision or not, now, you are where you're meant to be," she said during an episode of Season 4 (via Us Weekly.)
She had a romance with her co-star on Dancing with the Stars
Chrishell Stause found more than just her dancing shoes when she debuted on Season 29 of "Dancing With The Stars" in 2020. The "Days of Our Lives" star made it eight weeks of spinning and twirling around with her partner Gleb Savchenko before being eliminated. The realtor even used the experience on the show as a way to show homage to her late parents. "Dancing a contemporary piece tomorrow on @dancingabc to @graciepotter Stars," the realtor wrote on Instagram. "But most importantly, turning my pain from losing my parents into something beautiful and making them proud is the ultimate goal. I miss them every day."
Along with the dancing therapy she experienced, sparks flew between Stause and her professional dancer co-star Keo Motsepe. It seemed like their romance was off to a great start, with the pair sharing sweet Valentine's messages to each other on social media, as per Entertainment Tonight. The pair called it quits after just three months of dating, and the realtor had no problem airing the tea on their split on her Instagram stories. Stause called out her ex after posting a screen grab of an article claiming the pair was cordial writing, "Taking the high road is overrated sometimes!! I was also 100% in it as well, until revelations told [to] me recently have made me question if you could even order a coffee without lying." Ouch — looks like those two won't be dancing off into the sunset.
She dated her boss on Selling Sunset
It's often said not to mix business with pleasure, but nobody told that to Chrishell Stause and her boss Jason Oppenheim. The two turned their professional relationship into a romantic one when they made things official in July of 2021, as per People. Stause first debuted their romance via Instagram while they were vacationing in Italy alongside some of their co-stars, jokingly referring to it as "The JLo Effect." Oppenheim gushed to People at the time about it saying, "Chrishell and I became close friends and it has developed into an amazing relationship," Oppenheim said. "I care about her deeply and we are very happy together."
The two seemed a match made in real-estate heaven, much to the likes of many of their close friends and fellow O Group realtors. But after just five months after going public, the two called it quits. Stause made a public statement on Instagram at the time in a since-deleted post writing, "Jason was and is my best friend. The amount of respect and love we have for each other will not change going forward," adding, "Men have the luxury of time that women don't and that's just the way it goes. All of that being said, navigating this public terrain is difficult and I am just trying my best ... I very much hope to one day have a family and decisions I make at this point are with that goal in mind." Oppenheim is currently dating model Marie Lou-Nork and Stause is dating non-binary Australian singer G-Flip.
Her feud with co-star Christine Quinn
What's a reality show without an epic feud? Chrishell Stause knows that all too well as viewers have seen her at odds with her fellow coworker and O Group agent Christine Quinn season after season on "Selling Sunset." The drama began in Season 1 when Quinn accused Stause of questioning their co-star Mary Fitzgerald's relationship with her now-husband Romain Bonnet. Quinn made her feelings known by calling out Stause for being a fake and the "Days of Our Lives" actor responded by blocking Quinn from her social media. A truce seems unlikely between the two realtors since after five seasons of a heated rivalry they've barely managed to share the same space without tension. "I don't think it's a secret, you know, we're not friends," Stause told Us Weekly in June 2021. "But I think the goal is to be able to be coworkers."
The flames further ignited when Quinn told Page Six that her co-star was in therapy with her ex-husband Justin Hartley before their marriage ended. "Let me be VERY clear," Stause tweeted at the time. [Christine] knows absolutely nothing about the situation and is obviously desperate to gain attention by doing so. Anything from her is either a complete lie or total conjecture on her part." But despite it all, Quinn told E! News she has no regrets about playing the bad guy. "Yeah, I live for it. I love being the villain and I wouldn't have it any other way."
She came out as bisexual with singer G Flip
After a string of bad luck in love, Chrishell Stause seems to have found her match with her non-binary partner G-Flip. The "Selling Sunset" star opened up about the relationship during the Season 5 Reunion of the Netflix series saying, "It started because I was just going to be in their video. It's about this chaotic love story. "I think I was probably as surprised as anyone," Stause admitted "Just because nothing's changed for me. I'm still very attracted to masculine energy and a good human. I'm just very open to good energy."
G Flip told People that the pair met while they were both still with their exes. "And then, we obviously separated from our partners, and we just started talking and stuff," G Flip explained. "We just found a lot of similarities, even though people would think we are from like different corners of the world."
Stause defended her girlfriend when she went on an intoxicated Twitter rant after G-Flip was not allowed to come as Chrishell's plus-one to the 2022 People's Choice Awards. In screenshots obtained by TMZ Stause writes "People's Choice didn't allow me to bring my partner to the awards. I could ONLY bring a plus 1 if it was a cast member. Wtf Sure this means I will never be nominated again but honestly fu." Stause later admitted to regretting ranting while intoxicated tweeting "An internal conversation was had that I very much appreciate."
She's keeping her options open about motherhood
If you're a "Selling Sunset" fan, you know it's no secret that Chrishell Stause has big dreams of one day becoming a mother. After her split with her boss Jason Oppenheim ended after the two were on different pages regarding starting a family, fans had questions about her romance with G-Flip. As per People, Stause responded to fans questioning her if she still wanted to have children by writing, "Please stop asking me this," adding "I understand being on Selling Sunset entitles people to questions and my life in a way. But I am tired of this question ... I fell in love with a person, it's not that scandalous."
Stause went on to provide more context, admitting that she wants to start a family with someone who wants that as well. Seemingly referring to her past relationship with Oppenheim she added that it doesn't fit for her to be with someone who doesn't know where they stand on kids or adoption. As for her future with G-Flip, the O Group agent told Vogue "G knows that I want to be a mom, and I know that that's not where they are right now in their life. It really is just a super-open, communicative situation where we don't want to block anything for either person, and we want to offer each other love and support no matter what form it takes."