Celebrity
Chrishell Stause is a soap opera veteran.
But playing herself onSelling Sunsetmight be the role of a lifetime.
Tucked away in the Mount Olympus neighborhood of the Hollywood Hills,Chrishell Stauseis giving a home tour.
But the open-concept pad isnt one theSelling Sunsetstar is currently looking to sell to anyone: Its all hers.
I was my own agent on the deal, of course!
she exclaims, taking in the lush views of the canyon and city.
Stause, 40, has reason to be proud.
This was my big girl step, she laughs.
Still, she cant help but add a side of Southern sweetness.
I honestly do say,sincerely, that I want the best for her.
Born Terrina Chrishell Stause, theSelling Sunsetstar was raised in the South Kentucky, to be precise.
They seemed like the exact opposite of my life, she recalls.
So I wanted to bethat.
Real estate, she thought, seemed practical.
It was around that time Stause was approached with the idea ofSelling Sunset.
Plus, The Oppenheim Group was a better company than her employer at the time.
Stause, perhaps naively, believed that the show was just about selling houses.
Of course, by now, shes gotten the memo.
I think if we werent filming a reality show, some of these things would blow over easier.
For Stause, the drama ofSelling Sunsetwas just the beginning.
but even before dating Oppenheim, Stause was accustomed to being tabloid fodder.
It was just such a dark,dark, time, she says.
Its been crazy, she says as her voice cracks.
Unlike her divorce, theres no gift in losing someone so important to you, like a parent.
It seemed like a sign a way to remain tethered to her mother.
It almost seemed like she had a hand in that because she loved dancing so much.
Though the show allowed Stause to channel her grief into dance, drama followed.
Even now, Stause is wary of adding a new comment.
Everything I said then is what I stand by today.
He has a girlfriend, theyre divorced.
Im happy for him, she says.
Now Im doing what I just said I wasnt going to do, and Im commenting.
Conspiracy theories questioning the veracity of their relationship given its timing followed, all of which she vehemently denies.
To me, its insane to put your name on something thats fake and a ruse, she says.
Thats an insult to him, and I think that was ridiculous.
Now, the footwork?
The double standard, understandably, frustrates her.
Im justsayingJason doesnt get these questions, she sighs.
Theyre talking about real estate with him.
The JLo effect she admits she knew exactlywhat she was doing.
Soon enough, the best friends who had started dating a few months before had broken the internet.
Despite the assumed showboating, she would have preferred to keep their relationship quiet.
I just wanted the freedom to be able to hold my boyfriends hand, she says innocently.
I knew it was going to be a thing.
And, boy, was it.
For both Stause and Oppenheim, the relationship was unexpected.
Hes always been a very proud bachelor.
Thats the opposite of what Im looking for, Stause recalls.
He always dated these young blonde models.
We just were not each others types.
Against all odds, their relationship was a slow burn.
On the show,accusations of preferential treatmentsurfaced as a result.
But Stause points out that Oppenheim isnt technically anyones boss because agents are independent contractors.
Its not the same as going into corporate America and dating your boss, she notes.
Still, Stause hopes she gets treated a little differently at the office.
Well, if I dont get some favoritism, Im doing something wrong, she jokes.
Otherwise, Stause is over talking about her dating life or at least she wants to be.
What she wants most is for her work ethic to inspire other women.
And Stause has kept busy, whether or not people are aware.
And, of course, shes always making real estate deals.
Its one of those things where I know this is all going to go away, she says.
