Justin Hartley reflected on his life after he spoke to a small group of press after the This Is Us panel at the winter Television Critics Association press tour on Saturday, January 11.
“I’m doing great,” the actor said, before he opened up about his self-care routine and the changes he has made in his life, since his separation from ex-wife Chrishell Stause.
“I got into that a long time ago actually, self-care. It’s good to do, right?” Hartley continued. “We’ve got hectic lives and everyone’s busy and we’re rushing all over the place and we’re trying to occupy space and time and get to the next thing. And you have to slow down once in a while and realize where you are and appreciate what you’ve done and reflect a little bit, and be like, ‘What’s going on here?’ And make sure you’re OK. Surround yourself with good people. That’s a good thing to do as well.”
Hartley filed for separation from Stause in November and listed their date of separation as July 8, 2019. Stause responded to Hartley’s request for separation and filed for dissolution of marriage citing irreconcilable differences a couple of weeks later, but listed her date of separation as November 22, 2019 – the day Hartley filed his paperwork.
A source revealed to Entertainment Tonight at the time, “Chrishell is still shocked that Justin filed for [separation] and is devastated how everything is unraveling. Chrishell signed up for a marriage, to work through things and fight for their love, but she feels Justin has just given up.”
“Justin loves Chrishell, but people close to the couple feel he’s choosing his career path over their marriage,” the source also claimed. “Justin is finally getting his big break in Hollywood and it’s completely changed him and how he treated his marriage.”
At the same time, Hartley’s character on This Is Us, Kevin, is also going through his own personal issues.
“[Kevin’s] in a position where he’s in flux a little bit and he’s trying to find his way again,” he told the press. “It’s this repetition that kind of starts happening with his life and here it is again, in a place where he’s actually healthy, he’s trying to do the right thing, he’s taking care of himself — the self-care thing we were talking about.”
Hartley continued, “He’s being very reflective, he’s being very thoughtful, he’s doing all the right things and he finds himself in the same position where it’s, like, alone in a crowded room. I think his perspective on that is different though this time around. He can see the light at the end of the tunnel and he’s also hopeful. He has a goal and he knows what he wants for the first time.”
He also added that Kevin was in a transient time, and explained that he has a bigger idea of what he actually wants. “Now I think he’s starting to collect things in his life that mean something, that tells the story of who he really is,” Hartley said. “He’s carrying that weight with him and he’s realizing what it is that he wants in life, which is super cool to see for me and to play.”
This also includes Kevin’s hopes and dreams of having a family. “I think what he’s saying was, it’s time to grow up and move on,” the actor said to reporters. “And actually realize, I want a family. I want someone in my life to share life experiences with, to tell stories to. [Someone who] you say, ‘Do you remember when?’ and that person actually walked through that life with you and remembered it. I think that’s really special.”
This Is Us season four will premiere on Tuesday, January 14 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.
Brittany R
Brittany is a writer who is obsessed with rom-com movies, Gossip Girl, reality television, fashion, and pop-culture. When she isn't reporting on the latest celeb buzz, she is filling up her online shopping cart without checking out.
