Chrishell Stause Says Jason Oppenheim Split Was 'Bittersweet' But They Still 'Love Each Other'

The Selling Sunset star discusses her relationship with her ex-boyfriend and boss in her new book, Under Construction, out Feb. 8

Even though their romantic relationship has come to an end, Chrishell Stause and Jason Oppenheim still have a lot of love for each other.

The Selling Sunset costars, who announced their split in December five months after going public with their relationship, remain best friends in the wake of their breakup, Stause, 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively in this week's issue, on newsstands Friday, calling the situation "bittersweet."

"I know Jason is so proud of me and we love each other so much," the former soap star says, explaining that they broke up because they weren't on the same page when it came to starting a family.

"You can't talk out this problem. It's just something that, it is what it is," says Stause, who has openly discussed her desire to have children. "I will say it's a relationship I'm really extremely proud of. I think that we entered and left it with so much respect and love for each other."

Stause discusses her romance with the real estate mogul, 44, in her new memoir, Under Construction, which hits shelves Feb. 8. Their breakup, however, is not chronicled, as they were still together at the time the book went to press.

Jason Oppenheim and Chrishell Stause. Axelle/Bauer-griffin/Filmmagic

"Of course I always enter into every relationship with the best hopes. Writing the book, I didn't know how things were going to end," Stause explains, noting that Oppenheim has been her "biggest supporter" through the publishing process. "Like I say, my life is under construction. As soon as I feel like I got it right, I don't."

Jason Oppenheim and Chrishell Stause. Chrishell stause/instagram

After taking some time to heal, Stause says the mutual respect she and Oppenheim have for each other has allowed her to look towards the future with hope — something that has been harder to do after past breakups, she admits. (Stause was previously married to This Is Us star Justin Hartley, whom she wed in 2017 and divorced in 2019. She dated DWTS dancer Keo Motsepe for a few months in early 2021.)

"When you get older, you have a little bit more freedom about who you are," she explains. "I feel like that's really true, because the ability to be able to separate from a relationship that wasn't going to serve both people for what they wanted long term and be able to just kind of remain friends and be able to be like, 'Okay, well I only get one shot at this life. Let me go try and see if I can figure this out,' and bounce back… I will say, that kind of inspired me to not sit around and mope like I've done so many times in the past."

She continues. "It was beautiful... and it's time to get back out there. If this is what you say you want, then go get it. That's what I'm trying to do."

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That might mean creating a family on her own terms if she doesn't find the right partner, she says.

"I would love for [finding a partner] to happen, but if it doesn't, I feel like I can do it on my own," she says, explaining that she's keeping all her "options open" when it comes to becoming a mom.

"That's something that seems scary, but it also seems a little freeing, knowing that I'm not tied down to this idea that I only have this finite amount of time to figure it out," she adds. Stause took steps to freeze her eggs in 2020.

Shawn Ferjanec

Stause says that she is still putting herself out there in hopes of finding a person to parent with, but admits, "I feel like it's one of those things where I'm giving myself a certain amount of time."

"It's 2022 and we have to kind of look at all options," she says. "I definitely have come around to the thought that, yes, I'm going to go and try and [find a partner], but if I don't find that, that's okay too."

Under Construction: Because Living My Best Life Took a Little Work comes out February 8.