Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause says she was forced to reveal her relationship with boss Jason Oppenheim earlier than she would have liked due to pressure from the paparazzi.
Stause told Cosmopolitan UK she wanted to feel comfortable when being seen out with Oppenheim and not feel like they had been caught out by the press.
The couple, who appear in the LA-based show about real estate company the Oppenheim Group, made their official red carpet debut in August.
“We announced (the relationship) a little earlier than I would’ve liked to, because I felt like we were about to be outed by paparazzi photos,” she told Cosmopolitan UK.
“But I didn’t want people to think it was a mistake or they’d ‘caught us’ doing something – I wanted to be able to hold my boyfriend’s hand at dinner.”
Series co-star Mary Fitzgerald, who previously dated Oppenheim’s brother and co-owner of the company, Brett Oppenheim, said there were already rumours of favouritism following the announcement.
“We were out together and I noticed the way he was looking at her was different, so when she went to the bathroom I confronted him,” she told Cosmopolitan.
“When she came back Jason said, ‘Sorry Chrishell, Mary knows’.”
She continued: “(Rumours of favouritism are) already being put on Chrishell instead. That’s what people are saying around the office… Well, one person is.”
Stause said that having her divorce to Justin Hartley play out in series three of Selling Sunset had “given her pain a purpose” and made her stronger as a result.
“I was going through a really hard time and didn’t want to be in front of the camera,” she said
“I thought it was going to be a public humiliation. But it actually had the opposite effect – it gave my pain a purpose.
“Now, I feel fearless. I can’t think of anything worse to have to do on television, so from here, it’s all up.
“Any kind of drama I have with the girls… nothing will get to (that) place. If I can get through that, I can get through anything.”