Keeping it civil. Chrishell Stause says it hasn’t been “awkward” to work with ex Jason Oppenheim following the breakup — as long as everyone stays sober.
“[It’s weird] only if alcohol is involved!” the Selling Sunset star, 40, said with a laugh during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on Tuesday, February 8. When the Bravo host, 53, asked if she would get “preferential treatment” at the Oppenheim Group as a result of their relationship, Stause joked, “Well I hope so — no, I’m kidding,”
Stause continued: “I’m not against it. I should at least get a better commission split. I’m trying. I’ve made the argument [to Jason] and I think it’s going to happen.”
Chrishell Stause on ‘Watch What Happens Live.’ Watch What Happens Live/YouTube
Despite all of her jokes, the All My Children alum wanted fans to know that her relationship with Oppenheim wasn’t just a story line crafted for the show. “We would have done a way better job of making the press work [for us],” Stause said, adding, “And [we] would not spoil the breakup before the show came out.”
After the couple was photographed cuddling on a trip to Europe, Oppenheim, 44, confirmed to Us Weekly in July 2021 that he and the Under Construction author had begun dating. “Chrishell and I became close friends and it has developed into an amazing relationship,” he said at the time. “I care about her deeply and we’re very happy together.”
Their close bond as friends was a “key” part of why the relationship worked, according to Stause. “Our communication is very open and honest. There’s no conversation that we haven’t had at this point,” she told Today in November 2021, adding that they had some “very open” discussions about their future together. “I don’t know what we’re gonna do, but you know, it’s just one of those things that I’m very open with where I’m at in life and I think that’s the key.”
One month later, however, a source confirmed to Us that the couple called it quits. “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,” Stause wrote on Instagram in December 2021. “I very much hope to one day have a family and decisions I make at this point are with that goal in mind.”
She concluded: “Thank you Jason for the most incredible relationship and for consistently being honest with me even when it hurts.”
The businessman, for his part, stated that he and his costar will “will always love and support one another,” describing their short-lived romance as “the happiest and most fulfilling relationship of my life. … 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.”
