Hallmark Star Victor Webster's Marriage Ended With A Wild Pet Custody Twist

Fighting for custody is one of the toughest things about going through a divorce, but that isn't limited to human children. As former Hallmark lovebirds Victor Webster and Shantel VanSanten learned during their split, the same can apply to furbabies, too. 

VanSanten and Webster's divorce first made headlines in April 2023, though things were only finalized more than a year later. Prior to their divorce becoming official in the summer of 2024, it had been known that the exes were negotiating custody of their dog, Nova, but details were fairly minimal. That July, though, People reported that Webster had primary custody ... and VanSanten had a very good reason to return the pup after visitation. According to the outlet, the "FBI: Most Wanted" star would be allowed to have Nova in her care for a three-week period, but anything longer than that, and she'd be fined $10,000 per day. Yikes. 

While the headline understandably drew a ton of attention, it's not that surprising that the couple was committed to coming up with a plan for their pup once they parted ways. After all, both actors adore the pooch and have continued to post snaps with her when she's in their care. VanSanten has even hinted at the time away from Nova being tough on her when they do eventually reunite. "Soaking in every second with my baby," she wrote in one Instagram post in late 2025. "The love of my life is back in NYC with me!!!" she wrote in another in April 2026. As for Webster, it's clear he adores her too. In June 2026, he shared a pic of them together with the caption, "This little baby girl is my ride or die." Safe to say negotiating custody was well worth it, then.

One of the upsides to a custody battle over a furbaby rather than a human one is that they'd never really know if either parent was slinging the other's name in the mud. That said, in the case of Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster, it doesn't seem as though that would be a problem anyway. Neither one of them has spoken ill about the other in a particularly direct way. However, they have alluded to the split itself. 

In July 2024, a few weeks after the divorce was finalized, VanSanten shared an Instagram post about the difference between loss and surrender. "Loss is inevitable. Surrender is a choice. The continual letting go with gratitude and opening my heart to what is meant for me ... This lesson is the one I am continually faced with ... it has been especially intense in the last year," she wrote in part in the caption. Webster, meanwhile, shared a video of a hike he did with Nova in August 2024 as part of his healing process. "Rewriting old memories with new ones. Reprogramming with positive vibes and new memorable experiences," he captioned it. Well, it's great to know the "Charmed" alum had Nova alongside him for that.

While some Hollywood divorces have been almost egregiously expensive, other than the seemingly wild pet custody clause (and the fact that VanSanten reportedly had to pay Webster a one-off $25,000 post-split), it seems the Hallmark exes kept things relatively tame. As for the stipulation that VanSanten send regular updates about Nova to Webster whenever she had her time with the pup ... it's a little intense, but we'll chalk it up to genuine concern about his ride or die.