Why Did RHOBH Star Sutton Stracke Get Divorced?

Viewers and fans of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills have loved watching Sutton Stracke’s journey on the series. She has shared a lot of her life, like her friendship with Merce Cunningham, who was a legendary dancer, choreographer, and artist. The friendship she had with Merce was clearly a deep and loving one, but what about her romantic life? When it comes to the men in her life, Sutton has been solely focused on dating, and viewers know very little about her ex-husband.

Sutton Stracke joined the cast of RHOBH in 2020 during its 10th season as a friend before being promoted to a full-time housewife in Season 11. Since then, she has made quite a name for herself with fans. Her southern sensibilities and light-heartedly outlandish behavior have won over fans with ease, and she’s just plain fun to watch. She comes from an arts background, having pursued a career in dance before marrying her high school sweetheart, Christian Stracke.

Sutton met her husband Christian when they were both students at Davidson Fine Arts High School in Augusta, Ga. The couple was together for many years before tying the knot in 2000. During their marriage, they had three kids together: Porter, James, and Phillip. The couple was married for 16 years before they decided to get divorced in 2016. Their divorce was finalized in 2018, two years before Sutton first made her appearance on RHOBH.

With the divorce settled and finalized, Sutton has become more candid about what happened to her marriage. She has said that she and Christian both started their marriage as a pair of equals, but the dynamic changed as Christian’s success began to rise. Christian joined the Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) in 2008 and quickly rose in the ranks. He is currently PIMCO’s president, managing director, and head of global credit research.

Christian’s wealth developed quickly, while Sutton focused on raising their children. The partnership between the couple devolved, leading Sutton to become completely dependent on him. Sutton shared in a confessional, “My power diminished. This became, ‘Here’s your allowance’… I realized, wow, I allowed that to happen. I will never allow that to happen again.” This control, combined with fights and other issues, is ultimately what led to their divorce.

Sutton’s marriage to Christian devolved from a partnership into one in which he controlled her financially. Now that the couple has divorced, Sutton has gained back much financial freedom thanks to the personal wealth she developed, as well as the alimony she’ll be receiving from her ex. Sutton is set to receive $300,000 from Christian each month for the rest of her life. This is in addition to the $50,000 she’s receiving each month for child support.