Why Chrishell Stause Just Walked Away from Selling Sunset. What It Says About Reality TV.
Chrishell Stause
Chrishell Stause’s decision to exit Selling Sunset after nine seasons feels like the end of an era. The hit Netflix reality series first premiered in 2019 and made her one of its most familiar faces. According to a November 2025 interview, she explained: “I’ve gotten to a place where I don’t need the show financially … because it’s no longer good for my mental health.â€
Before the show.
Chrishell came from an acting background, having worked on soaps and small roles before shifting into real estate. Simultaneously, she navigated a complex dating life. In 2017, she married actor Justin Hartley after several years of dating, only for him to file for divorce in 2019. After that, she had relationships with professional dancers like Keo Motsepe and with her then-boss at the brokerage featured in Selling Sunset, Jason Oppenheim, before eventually finding love with Australian non-binary musician G Flip, whom she married in a surprise Las Vegas ceremony in 2023.
From the very first season of Selling Sunset, Chrishell was a central figure. She navigated luxury real estate in L.A. as part of the brokerage run by Jason Oppenheim and his twin, Brett Oppenheim. Alongside her were other realtors like Mary Fitzgerald, Romain Bonnet (in earlier seasons), Chelsea Lazkani, Emma Hernan, and more recent castmates such as Nicole Young. As the seasons progressed, the show blended real estate with heightened drama, and Chrishell was often front and center.
Final Season
Her final season (season nine) brought several flashpoints. She and Emma Hernan fell out after Chrishell accused Emma’s boyfriend of making hateful comments about her partner G Flip. At the reunion episode, she described the experience as “brutal†and said that moment crystallised her decision. She also noted frustration with how the show’s editing and producers omitted key context, saying that if she were doing a show “with less problematic people,†she would understand the cuts, but it wasn’t sitting right anymore.
She emphasized that even the show’s creator, Adam DiVello, couldn’t persuade her to return, “not even Jesus Christ himself,†she said. Despite the tension, she made clear she holds no ill will: she is grateful for the opportunities but ready for a new chapter.
Interview
In her interview with Bustle, she revealed she has officially decided to leave the show after nine seasons. She said she reached a point where she “got to a place where I don’t need the show financially†and added that the show “is no longer good for my mental health.â€
On her Instagram Stories, she posted a message along the lines of: “Although the season ended on a bit of a sour note, I will truly always be SO grateful to this show. It introduced me to you guys, and I am deeply thankful for your support. There were lots of fun memories I am going to focus on from here on out, and you will see me again, so it’s not goodbye. Just goodbye for now.â€
She described the season 9 reunion of the show as “so brutal… in that moment I realised I will be done here going forward.â€
She also noted that the show’s creator, Adam DiVello, had been contacting her “100 times a day†trying to persuade her to stay, but she made it clear: “Not even Jesus Christ himself†could bring her back.
Her exit
With her exit, Chrishell is signaling new priorities: mental health, creative freedom, and personal life (including family plans). The show will likely continue without her, but for fans who’ve followed her journey from soap actor to L.A. agent to reality star, her departure shifts the tone. In her own words: “It’s not goodbye. Just goodbye for now.â€
