Chrishell Stause has a pretty unique first name – but do you know the story of how she got it? The Selling Sunset star has had that name plastered all over the headlines for the past several weeks, thanks to her highly publicized split with now-ex-husband Justin Hartley, and the tale behind her first name is somehow stranger and simultaneously more mundane than you might have imagined.
First of all, Chrishell Stause isn’t actually her full legal name: she was born Terrina Chrishell Stause. That unusual middle name, though, has something of a quirky backstory. As she explains in season one of Selling Sunset, “Chrishell” was made up by her parents in tribute to the circumstances of her birth. Stause’s mother went into labor with her daughter at a Shell gas station, and an attendant named Chris helped her deliver the baby. In tribute to this unusual experience and the person who helped her through it, Stause’s mother combined “Chris” and “Shell” to create the middle name “Chrishell.”
Although her unusual name is the one that’s gotten the most attention in the past, Stause’s legal last name is currently what’s getting the most focus. When she married Hartley back in 2017, she legally added “Hartley” to her last name. According to People‘s report on the divorce court documents, Stause is asking for her maiden name to be legally restored as part of the ongoing divorce proceedings between the former couple.
The big name move comes as two things have ramped up the speculation about the exes and the fallout from their split. First, the newest season of Selling Sunset, on which Chrishell stars, features the shocking end of her marriage and the subsequent drama as one of its major plot points. Meanwhile, Hartley is making headlines for, apparently, already having moved on: he’s been spotted with actress Sofia Pernas, although the two have not commented publicly on whether they’re dating. Although Stause’s name probably isn’t leaving the headlines anytime soon, at least it’s her own name and her own unique story.
