Sutton Stracke Opens Up About Her Settlement Agreement from Ex-Husband, Christian Stracke
Find out where RHOBH's Sutton Stracke stands with her ex-husband today.
When Sutton Stracke joined the cast of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills as a friend on Season 10 in 2020, it had been about four years since she had divorced Christian Stracke.
In the years since, Sutton has been candid on the show about what led to her split from the strategist, with whom she shares daughter Porter Stracke and sons James Stracke and Philip Stracke. She's also addressed the substantial monthly settlement she receives from Christian.
Why did Sutton Stracke and Christian Stracke get divorced?
Sutton revealed new details about her 2016 split on the RHOBH Season 13 premiere. She said that, when the couple first got married, they "were on equal footing."
Once Sutton gave birth to her daughter and stopped working, she felt a major shift in her relationship with Christian. “My power diminished,” Sutton said, “this became here’s your allowance.”
As a result, Sutton wanted to open her own business and ensure that she would always have some level of financial freedom. “I realized, 'Wow, I allowed that to happen. I will never allow that to happen again,'” she added. She opened her clothing boutique, The Sutton Concept, in 2019.
During The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show, Sutton said that she was the one who instigated her divorce from Christian. "I was the one that asked Christian to get out of the house," she told bestie Garcelle Beauvais, adding that their problems had the tendency to "turn into World War III" at the time.
Though Sutton wanted to work on her relationship by going to therapy with her estranged husband, Christian filed for divorce shortly thereafter.
Sutton Stracke reveals her settlement agreement from Christian Stracke
On the Season 13 premiere, Sutton opened up to her bestie, Jennifer Tilly, about why her spousal support from Christian sometimes felt like a double-edged sword. "Spousal support — they come with an anchor,” Sutton explained to her friend. "I’m not going to give that up… but I don’t want the anchor. I don’t want it. I want complete freedom."
After Andy Cohen alluded to the fact that her ex-husband allegedly paid her about $300,000 per month in spousal support, Sutton made an important clarification during a November 2023 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen — that six-figure sum is "after taxes."
She's also addressed her spousal support in a 2023 Instagram post, writing, "And for any divorced women out there receiving spousal support: you deserve every penny, it’s yours. Now go make it even bigger! And it’s never too late. I believe in you."
RHOBH cast reacts to Sutton Stracke's settlement from ex-husband, Christian
During Season 14 of RHOBH, the topic of Sutton's settlement from her ex came up once again when she was discussing something else she used to get from "for a long time" on Mother's Day. "I haven't gotten flowers in years now," she said. "I got nothing, like not even a text this year."
Erika then shared that Sutton at least gets "something," referring to the spousal support that she receives from her ex. "It means nothing," Sutton told Erika during the emotional moment (above).
Sutton Stracke's ex-husband, Christian Stracke, now lives in London
The store owner's ex had been living down the street from her in California, but he made a major move while Season 13 was filming. Christian relocated to London, England for his job (he is a managing director, president, and the global head of the credit research group at PIMCO).
As Sutton shared in Season 13, Christian wanted Sutton and their youngest son, James, to move to London with him. She put her foot down about moving across the pond. "I told [Christian] [that our son] James is not going, and I'm not going," she continued.
On the Season 13 reunion, Sutton said that it took "courage" for her to deny her ex-husband's wishes. "[Christian] had told me that day that he was moving to London, and James, my son, was moving to London, and I was moving to London," Sutton explained. "And this man gets what he wants."
"I went to him and said, 'I am not moving to London. James is not moving to London. We're staying here," she recounted to reunion host Andy Cohen. "It took so much courage for me to do that."
Though Sutton didn't want to move to London full-time, she is considering buying property there. "My ex-husband and I have talked about it," she said during an exclusive chat with The Daily Dish in December 2024. "It might be nice if I had a flat in London so I could go to London and the kids can meet there."
She noted that it would be a major help to Christian. "You know, it's taxing for him," she continued. "I would be doing him a favor to get a flat in London, you know."
Sutton Stracke shares where she stands with ex-husband Christian Stracke today
More than eight years after they dissolved their union, Sutton and Christian are in a good place. During her conversation with The Daily Dish, Sutton shared that the exes were planning to take a trip together (with their kids) for the holidays.
"After Christmas, I am taking my children to meet my ex-husband and his girlfriend in St. Barts," Sutton said, later confirming that Christian's new girlfriend used to be a friend of hers. "It's going to be interesting."
The diamond holder noted that the family would be celebrating her son's birthday while in St. Barts."So we're going to celebrate that, and they're bringing friends," Sutton added. "It's going to be a blended family, I guess."
Originally published Dec 31, 2024.
