Why Chrishell Stause's Holiday Photo Is Causing Quite A Stir
What started as a joyous holiday family photo share ignited unintended controversy for Chrishell Stause (via People). The Selling Sunset star, who recently confirmed she is dating Dancing With the Stars pro Keo Motsepe, ended up having to defend the group shot, which showed seven of her family members, plus she and her new beau, wearing matching Christmas pajamas.
"Introduced @keo_motsepe to the fam. He fit right in. Merry Christmas everyone from mine to yours!!! Sending you all so much love," the smitten star captioned the picture that would have been completely normal any other year.
But comments started pouring in that expressed opinions of how the crowded image didn't sit well given the pandemic and safety concerns. For instance, one Instagram follower said, "Please be mindful of your platform. It's not good to show large family gatherings. It makes others think it's okay." Another critic of the post noted, "No masks no social distancing."
Chrishell Stause adds a thoughtful response to those who didn't feel right about her photo
The 39-year-old reality star was quick to address those who weren't feeling her holiday amid a pandemic post. "Edit: To those bringing up Covid concerns, I understand and agree this was not a good use of my platform," Stause noted as an update to her original post, adding, "I normally always try to be socially responsible with my posts because I am naturally a compassionate person."
The former spouse of This Is Us actor Justin Hartley also acknowledged, "I can see how this does not show that to some. I understand you won't agree, but at least so you can see where I am coming from — This is my immediate family and we all are able to test before and after. This is the first Christmas without our mom we felt important to be there for each other in a tough year."
Finally, the newly coupled up Stause shared, "Keo brought such welcomed happiness and selfishly I posted in a very happy moment. Please be safe and I am sending all my love to my supporters & critics. I hear all of you and can appreciate feedback from both sides."
It's worth noting not everyone had a problem with her photo, with many supporters simply commenting it was nice to see her so happy.