Justin Hartley had another wife: Inside his first divorce
Justin Hartley’s divorce announcement shocked Selling Sunset fans and his own wife, Chrishell Stause. The reality star reportedly “blindsided” Stause with his decision, and the subsequent fallout was emotionally taxing for both of them.
“I obviously really, truly love him,” Stause told Entertainment Tonight. “It’s unfortunate the way that everything happened and the timing of everything.”
Some fans criticize Hartley for his “impulsive” decision, but this is not the first time the reality star has been divorced. He met actress Lindsay Korman on the set of the soap opera Passions in 2003. The pair quickly became involved.
Hartley’s first marriage
They married in May 2004 and welcomed their first child together, Isabella Justice Hartley, in July. Korman eventually filed for divorce in 2012, citing irreconcilable differences. Despite their differences, Hartley and Korman agreed to joint physical and legal custody of their daughter.
Hartley discussed the difficulty of raising a child during an interview with Us Weekly.“As much as you try to put yourself in other people’s shoes, you’re never fully going to be able to do it, but you should just make the effort,” he explained. “Communication and an understanding of where everyone’s coming from.”
Amicable divorce
Hartley also credited his ex-wife with laying the groundwork for their daughter. “My daughter’s very self-sufficient and very smart,” he remarked. “She’s very resourceful, so I’m thankful that that’s the case [and] I get a lot of help from my ex-wife. I mean, she’s the one that’s making it all go around. She deserves all the credit.”
Korman returned the kind words when she took to Instagram to defend Hartley against the fallout from the Stause divorce. “In a day when social media should be used for positivity … an inspiration towards movement in an honest and deserving way, I’d like to join, by highlighting my appreciation for my family,” she wrote.
“Today, I appreciate my ex-husband Justin for not only being [an] exemplification of a solid man but for being my dear friend and devoted father to our daughter,” Korman continued. “Simply put; for being family. We derive our own opinion of people by experiencing life and time together, and we do our best to hold dear the ones that maintain consistent kindness, love, and generosity.”
Ex-spouse support
“No matter what conflicts Justin and I had in the past, I appreciate what we have today and I am thankful for the family we have built,” the soap opera star concluded. The couple’s teenage daughter, Isabella, showed her support by reposting the message on her social media.
The implications of the post weren’t lost on Stause, who appeared to respond to Korman with a subliminal diss on her Instagram Story.
Stause’s message didn’t address Korman specifically, but fans were quick to draw parallels between her and the kind of “woman” that Stause was discussing. “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world it was crooked,” Stause wrote. “Women who build each other up are my tribe.”
Moving on
Stause’s interactions with Korman have been historically tense. The reality star was recently confused for Korman when it was announced that she would be cast in the upcoming season of General Hospital. Stause responded to the Daily Mail announcement with a concise tweet: “Wrong ex-wife.”
Stause expanded on the embarrassing mixup during an Instagram Live. “I am not going to General Hospital,” she asserted. “My life has become so strange … I am just choosing to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.”
According to Page Six, Hartley moved on from his marriage to Stause. He’s rumored to be dating actress Sofia Pernas, who he previously worked with on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. Neither party has commented on the status of their relationship.
