Chrishell Stause Reveals Why She and ‘DWTS’ Pro Keo Motsepe Broke Up

Chrishell Stause is looking back on her past relationships with a new perspective. The Selling Sunset star got real about her relationships with ex-husband Justin Hartley and Dancing With the Stars pro Keo Motsepe in an E! News excerpt of her upcoming memoir, Under Construction, set to be released on Feb. 8. In the preview, Stause claims both of her exes “love bombed” her in order to manipulate her before their relationships came to an end.

Stause and This Is Us star Hartley married in 2017, and two years later split when Hartley filed for divorce, ending his marriage in what Stause claimed was a text message. “The last thing I want to do is rehash old wounds but being so far away from it now I can see that what happened was a gift,” Stause wrote in her book of Hartley. “Now I understand much more clearly how I deserve to be treated. When someone is in love, it’s hard to convince that person that the relationship isn’t right.”

She added, “Even if he’s waving red flags like a bullfighter to everyone around you, you’re the girl striding right up to him, oblivious to any impending danger. You’re too distracted and in your own world to listen.” The Netflix star then went on to describe her brief relationship with Motsepe, whom she met while competing on Season 29 of DWTS. The two would go on to date for about three months in late 2020 and early 2021, but Stause said he was a similar “type” to her ex-husband.

“Did I learn from my mistakes after Justin? Well, when it comes to love I’m still a work in progress,” she wrote. “I did fall for another love bomber not long after my divorce, and we were quickly heading toward real commitment. He was a tall dancer, and he started off as this amazing, positive, generous guy.”

Taking him home to meet her family for Christmas, the real estate agent said things “took a turn” after the honeymoon phase. “This time, instead of making excuses for his behavior, I actually opened my eyes, pushed past the smoke and mirrors, and saw the truth. I’d gotten stronger, and as soon as I realized how deep his apparent lies went, I was the one who ended it,” she revealed.

Despite being “hurt,” Stause said she was able to leave the heartbreak behind “quickly” when she focused on taking care of herself, staying busy and feeling “strong” knowing she had done the right thing for herself. “Instead of feeling sorry for myself after we broke up, I felt empowered,” she concluded.