Whitney Rose is opening up about a pivotal moment in her separation from estranged husband Justin Rose when she realized a divorce was inevitable.
“It was a slow process for me because it’s scary to think that you want to change your life, right? Like a divorce, I didn’t take [it] lightly,” the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City star, 40, exclusively tells Us. “A separation, I didn’t take lightly, and people have to understand it. Even just moving into the guest bedroom was a huge step for me.”
News broke in July that the Roses were separating after 16 years of marriage. Whitney exclusively told Us in September that she and Justin, 57, “share two places” and they “rotate between the two,” so their kids — daughter Bobbie, 16, and son Brooks, 13 — never have to leave their “primary home.”
A definitive break for the former couple occurred on October 6 when Whitney officially filed for divorce in Utah. Us learned that Whitney submitted a parenting plan for the couple’s two children to the court for potential approval.
“It was just time, and I think as time went on, and once we did separate and started nesting, and having time away from each other, I gained clarity on myself, our marriage, our family dynamic, and I think that divorce doesn’t always have to be a bad thing,” she explains to Us. “It can be a beautiful thing for both people, and I think that this is a great thing for my family. So I’d say during the summer I started realizing that this is where we’re headed.”
Whitney’s cousin and RHOSLC costar, Heather Gay, reacted to the divorce news earlier this month, admitting it was a “shock” to see the pair calling it quits.
“I know that everyone wants to be shocked by it,” Whitney says. “But I think [this] is the natural evolution that we’ve seen with Justin and I. [I] finally just did the thing I was scared to do and speak my truth. That was really hard for me to accept, and I sat with that internally for months, but it was even harder for me to voice it, and then actually do it.”
Now that she’s moving through the legal process of getting divorced, Whitney hopes other women will be inspired by her journey.
“Something I would love for, especially women and mothers to know, or parents, fathers, anyone to know, [is] that if that’s something that you feel, if divorce is something that you feel like you need, or separation, just ask for it immediately,” she adds. “Don’t be scared because I was so scared to do this. I was so scared about the impact and blowback on my children.”
Whitney admits she “pushed off” making a decision about her divorce for “a long time” because she worried about how painful it would be to break the news to Bobbie and Brooks.
“Once I had the conversation with my children, it went so well, and I was so surprised by their reactions. I was shocked, and I realized that this is a good thing for them too,” she notes. “So, I’d say, if you need it, ask for it, and don’t be fearful of the children. Children know and see more than you think.”
The Bravo star tells Us her separation made her realize she will never truly be “alone” because of the support she receives from her two kids — and even from Justin.
“I’ll never be alone because Justin and I, I know that we’ll remain friends through this,” she predicts. “I have my kids. I have my businesses. Like, I’m not alone.”
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City season 7 airs on Bravo Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.
