Published Oct 1, 2020

‘Dancing With The Stars” Chrishell Stause, 39, Says Losing Both Parents to Cancer Gave Her New Perspective On Her Very Public Divorce

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A New Perspective

Reality star Chrishell Stause says losing both parents to cancer gave her a new perspective on her public divorce.
Stause says she’s “adapting” to life without them rather than “getting over it.”
Her father passed away from stage 4 lung cancer in April 2019, and her mom died from the same diagnosis in July.

Over the last two years, reality star Chrishell Stause’s life has been completely turned upside down. After recently losing both parents to cancer, Stause has learned to look at things differently. Tragedy often brings with it perspective, and in this case, after experiencing this unbearable loss, she says she was able to look at her very public divorce in a different way.

Stause, 39, lost her mother to stage 4 lung cancer in July after being diagnosed in February. A year before that, her father passed away in April 2019 from the same diagnosis. Losing both parents is a devastating experience, but Stause also experienced another serious hardship. In November 2019, she went through a very public divorce with actor Justin Hartley, which was shown on Netflix’s Selling Sunset. Believe it or not, he broke the news over a text message.

To say the least, the past two years have been tough. However, Stause says losing both parents made her view the divorce in a new light.

"It's almost an ungrievable loss," she says about her parents’ passing. "The other loss, you can slowly recover and get over. This one just feels like I'm adapting, as opposed to getting over it."

Whether it’s someone who has faced cancer, or someone who’s watched a loved one battle the disease, a diagnosis can really shed light on what’s important. Even though it’s under unfortunate circumstances, Stause is clearly trying to cope with changes she’s experienced.

View this post on Instagram
In disbelief that you are gone. Feeling just about every emotion, but I find comfort knowing Dad is up there taking care of you and showing you the ropes like only he could. Absolutely heartbreaking watching you take your last labored breath, but there is a peace knowing you two are together again, free from the pain that plagued your time here. A free spirit and rebel till the very end. My beautiful Mom, in your own words #FuckCancer Our family would like to thank the Ray and Kay Eckstein Hospice Care Center and especially Debbie and Pam who helped lovingly assist our Mom to the other side. Your kindness and care in this time will never be forgotten.
A post shared by Chrishell (@chrishell.stause) on Jul 18, 2020 at 2:57pm PDT

Coping With Losing a Loved One to Cancer

Stause’s way of coping with losing her parents might be helpful for others impacted by the disease. After losing a loved one, the idea of “moving on” is not only difficult to do, but not always necessary.

Take Doug Wendt for example, who lost Alice, his wife of 25 years, to ovarian cancer. He was right by her side during treatment, and was understandably devastated after her passing. He’s admitted that he'll never really get over losing Alice, and that’s OK. Instead, he’s focusing on moving forward making new memories, without forgetting Alice.

"We're never gonna move on, I don't even think I want to move on, but I do want to move forward," Doug tells SurvivorNet. "That's an important distinction and I encourage anybody who goes through this journey as a caregiver and then has to face loss, to think very carefully about how to move forward."

Doug Wendt, who lost his wife to ovarian cancer, talks life after losing a loved one

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