Beware: Spoilers for Selling Sunset season 5 lie ahead.
If there was one relationship that Selling Sunset viewers didn't see coming it was Chrishell Stause's romance with her boss, Jason Oppenheim.
However, months after the pair went public with their relationship, they parted ways, leaving Selling Sunset fans wondering what happened.
Now that season 5 has finally arrived on Netflix, viewers have a little more insight into why Chrishell and Jason went their separate ways. Here's what you need to know about why the Selling Sunset stars decided to split.
Why did Chrishell and Jason split up on Selling Sunset?
In the final episode of season 5, Stause and Oppenheim's relationship ends somewhat abruptly. By all appearances, the pair seemed to be incredibly in love when they made the difficult decision to part ways.
Speaking to costar Emma Hernan, Stause explains, “He just told me he doesn't wanna have a kid. And as much as this hurts me to say, I've been clear with him what that would mean, so we are done.”
During her conversation with Hernan, Stause also says, “Let's just be honest, he was a very proud bachelor for his whole life.” Her costar replies, “And you changed him,” to which Stause responds, “I didn't!”
While Oppenheim isn't seen onscreen discussing the breakup, an earlier scene in the episode provides a clue. Speaking with Amanza Smith, Mary Fitzgerald, and Brett Oppenheim, Jason reveals, “I honestly get overwhelmed by the idea of being a dad.” While his colleagues offer support and tell him he'd make a wonderful father, Jason's reservations are clear. Sadly, Jason and Chrishell appear to want different things.
How did they announce it?
Stause and Oppenheim have both shared statements about their breakup on Instagram, offering some explanation as to why they'd parted ways.
In a since-deleted Instagram post, Stause wrote (via Women's Health), “Jason was and is my best friend, and other than our ideas for family ultimately not being aligned, the amount of respect and love we have for each other will not change going forward.”
She continued, “Although my initial reaction to a private situation was to not speak on it, sometimes it's easier to just live transparently because we only get one chance at this life.” Finally, Stause wrote, “And thank you Jason for the most incredible relationship and for consistently being honest with me even when it hurts.”
Meanwhile, Oppenheim revealed on Instagram, “While Chrishell and I are no longer together, we remain best friends and we will always love and support one another. She was the most amazing girlfriend I've ever had, and it was the happiest and most fulfilling relationship of my life.”
Oppenheim's post continued, “While we have different wants regarding a family, we continue to have the utmost respect for one another. Chrishell is an exceptional human being and loving her and having her in my life is one of the best things that has ever happened to me.”
What has Chrishell said about the split?
During an interview with People in February 2022, Stause called the breakup from Oppenheim “bittersweet,” explaining, “I know Jason is so proud of me and we love each other so much.”
Stause also opened up to BAZAAR.com, saying, “At the end of the day, we're both sad that we don't want the same things. There's heartbreak there for different reasons on both sides, but there's also a lot of love there. I truly, just really do feel his support, and I know he feels the same for me.”
However, Stause made it clear that she still values her friendship with Oppenheim. “When people break up, at least for me in the past, I would see it as a failure. But I will always be proud of this relationship and my friendship with Jason. And we're obviously still very close.”
What about Jason?
During an interview with the Mirror in April 2022, Oppenheim got candid about his sadness regarding the split. “Season five is going to make me relive a lot of sadness, pain and loss,” the real estate broker said. “That’s not something I’m looking forward to. I’m not ready to talk about what happened with Chrishell, but we just wanted different things.” He continued, “Usually I’m good at getting on with business but right now, I think about her every day. It is really tough.”
While promoting season 5, Oppenheim told Us Weekly, “I love her still. I always will. She’s a great woman so there’s just a lot of loss there.” However, he also stood by the split: “I think that I made the right decision for myself, but also I think it’s just extremely difficult.”
Oppenheim's BFF Mary Fitzgerald also weighed in on the breakup, tellingUs Weekly, “It’s sad because I love them together.” Fitzgerald also let it slip that Oppenheim was still “madly in love” with Stause, explaining that she “was surprised” by the breakup.
Chrishell is still open to starting a family on her own.
Stause recently joked on Instagram (in a bikini while on vacation in Mexico), “Well these eggs aren’t going to fertilize themselves ?? Or maybe they will…who knows. Until then, 2022 bring it on.” Clearly, this is a woman that knows what she wants.
Stause confirmed that she was open to starting a family solo during an interview with BAZAAR.com in February 2022. “I did one round of freezing my eggs when I was doing Dancing with the Stars,” she said. “And then, when the breakup happened, I wanted to take control of my future, so I wanted to do one more round.”
The former soap star explained, “I know a lot of women are in my situation, where you have these plans and they don't [happen]. And so, I think it's just about embracing this new normal.”
In her interview with People in February 2022, Stause doubled down on her desire to start a family, saying, “I would love for [finding a partner] to happen, but if it doesn't, I feel like I can do it on my own.”
WATCH SELLING SUNSET SEASON 5 ON NETFLIX