Chris Appleton has publicly opened up about his divorce from Lukas Gage for the first time.
In April 2023, the celebrity hairstylist and You star made headlines when they tied the knot in Las Vegas at the famous Little White Chapel.
Unfortunately, their love story didn’t last, as Appleton filed for divorce that November, just six months after their marriage.
In court documents obtained by TODAY, the hairstylist cited “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the downfall of their relationship.
Since that fateful day, Appleton has remained relatively quiet on the situation.
However, after nearly two years of silence, the British creative peeled back the curtain on their short-lived union while appearing on Jay Shetty’s On Purpose podcast.
“This is the first time I’ve ever spoke about this. I think people have this perception, from social media probably, that I have it together. I work with these amazing people, and life looks glamorous. So, from the outside, it probably looks like I got it all together,” he explained.
“But the truth is, especially during that time, I was going through a lot of private pain, and then you go with all the online speculation part. People say things about you, there’s things in the tabloids, and people have an opinion on your life. That can be incredibly intense, especially when you’re just trying to deal with things.”
Appleton went on to credit therapy for helping him get through that difficult time, adding that a big lesson he learned was finding alignment and inner peace amid the media frenzy.
“That wasn’t an easy process, but I think when you align those two, when you genuinely feel good on the inside, I think that’s when your real power comes in place,” he continued.
“I think, just because there’s a headline about you doesn’t necessarily mean you have to explain to everyone about your life. And I think for me, I really wanted to deal with it with peace and deal with it my way.
“You can love someone and there not be a forever happy ending. I think you learn so much from it. I think any relationship I’ve ever gone into, I’ve learned so much from it. I’ve learned what’s important to me in terms of boundaries, in terms of how I want to be loved, how I want to love.
“And that’s a beautiful thing because it means you’re always growing and evolving.”
Lastly, Appleton addressed the swift progression of his relationship with Gage, stating that “moving fast” doesn’t always translate to being “reckless.”
“I think sometimes it means you’re hopeful. And I think any relationship I’ve ever been into, I’ve gone into with an open heart. And I have no regrets about that,” he said.
“I would rather love and fall than to never feel anything at all. And I think I’d rather experience something and feel alive than to never put my foot out in the water.
View this post on Instagram
“An ending doesn’t mean it didn’t mean anything. It just means it ended. People love to say like, ‘Oh, I knew you, you know that would happen, and that wouldn’t last.’ But I don’t know, it’s just who I am. I go in wholeheartedly into every friendship, every relationship, you know, every family member.
“And I’ve learned to protect myself and also honour myself.”
In addition to discussing his high-profile relationship with Gage, Appleton opened up about coming out to his kids and the challenges he faced regarding his mental health.
Check out the full interview here or below.
Latest
