Actors Shantel VanSanten and Victor Webster met in 2017 on the set of Love Blossoms, a Hallmark Channel movie, where indeed their love did blossom. Four years later they were engaged, and between 2021 and 2022 they had three different weddings. Then in April 2023, Webster filed for divorce, citing the oft-used “irreconcilable differences.” Now at long last, and after thorough rounds of mediation, their divorce is finalized. Part of the reason for mediation? Working out a custody agreement for their fur babies. Us Weekly obtained the particulars, which stipulate that Victor retains primary custody of their dog Nova, though Shantel gets visitation rights. But if she’s ever late in returning Nova to Victor, there’s a $10K/day fee. Now look, I know whole-heartedly that our pets are priceless, but a $10K late fee? Per day?? That’s barking mad!
One Tree Hill alum Shantel VanSanten and Hallmark’s Victor Webster have finalized their divorce, which includes a custody arrangement for their pets with late fees.
Per court documents obtained by Us Weekly, VanSantel (who is also known for starring on The Boys and FBI) and Webster reached a settlement in mediation and have made a plan for their furry friends.
Webster will have custody of their dog, Nova, but VanSanten will be able to visit with the pooch for extended periods of time. When VanSanten has the dog, she’s required to share updates about Nova’s location. If she takes Nova for longer than three weeks, VanSanten has to pay Webster $10,000 per day that the dog is not returned.
As for the twosome’s cats, Finnegan and Phillippa are in the custody of his brother, Vince.
They also reached a split agreement for their finances, including the sale of their Los Angeles home. VanSanten, however, will pay $25,000 to equalize the split. Neither VanSanten or Webster will receive spousal support.
VanSanten and Webster, who met on the set of the Hallmark Channel movie Love Blossoms in 2017, got engaged in February 2021. … In April 2023, Us confirmed that Webster filed for divorce from VanSanten. He listed their date of separation as January 10, 2023, and cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.
Months after the initial filing, VanSanten responded with a requested “dissolution” of marriage. She also cited “irreconcilable differences” and agreed with his original date of separation, according to the docs obtained by Us.
Post-divorce pet custody issues aren’t new; most recently we’ve seen Cheryl Burke go to court where she won full custody of her Frenchie Ysabella, and Sofia Vergara who willingly gave Chihuahua-Pomeranian mix Bubbles to Joe Manganiello (Bubbles had made her preference abundantly clear). Both of those cases involved one pet parent taking full ownership of a dog, with no visitation arrangement for the ex, kind of Parent Trap style. I wonder what the back and forth will feel like for Nova. In fact, I wonder what Nova’s representation was in the mediation proceedings. And for that matter, why are cats Finnegan and Phillippa going to live with their uncle? What’s the story there?! Did they express that as their wish, a la Bubbles?
As for the humans, I have a million questions there as well. Why did Victor think the threat of Shantel not returning Nova on time was so great, that a hefty fine had to be put in place? How was that steep figure determined? Why does Shantel have to provide constant location updates to Victor, but seemingly not the other way around? How did they determine that three weeks was the maximum amount of time Shantel could have with Nova before having to pay extra? And what on earth was going through the lawyers’ heads as all these terms were being hashed out? I know it’s all billable hours, but still…
I hope all the pets thrive and feel loved in these new arrangements! And I hope Hallmark Channel has been paying attention, because this story would totally make a hit movie for them (in which the couple gets back together at the end, of course).
Photos credit: FayesVision/Wenn/Avalon, Phamous/Backgrid, Getty and via Instagram
He’s hot but I bet the tea is hotter. I think those Hallmark sets might be like a Roman orgy bts.
He sounds like your typical controlling male asshole to me. If I were her, I would let him have Nova and tell him to F’ himself.
?????
Wowee. Where are you getting that? We have no idea what is going on here. Eff himself??
I’ve only ever seen this once before in real life and it was because the partner made some really stupid threats re: the pets (“I’ll make sure you never see them again” and “I’ll give them to my brother to give away to a good home before you ever get to hold them again”) in petty anger and PUT IT IN WRITING (texts).
That created an issue the judge (in that case) addressed with a very similar agreement, with similar penalties, further warning them that any shenanigans or further threats would result in immediately revisiting the agreement and them losing access forever.
Usually if these seemingly petty issues make it to writing with punitive penalties like this that both sets of lawyers and a judge or mediator approves, there’s some sort of backstory. And IMO if the agreement is weirdly unbalanced, someone came with the receipts and that led to lawyers on both sides allowing it.
That doesn’t make Webster a saint, but I’d guess something like that happened in their case. Either she or someone close to her threatened to take the dogs/pets or tried to use them as a bargaining chip. Judges and mediators don’t like that stuff.
Hundo P
The Hallmark movie version of this would be the lawyers for either side used to date in college, until one had to move home to care for the family business as a parent died, the other lived their big city dreams for a while until their eyes meet again over a conference table and they realize they are representing opposing sides in a contentious divorce. Sparks fly, they argue so much the divorcing parties realize that their marriage is actually not that bad and reunite. The opposing lawyers learn something about love, reunite and everyone lives happily ever after in houses that in the real world they could never afford. The End.
Love your version. I would only add that end of the movie would take place at Christmas so that the newly re-in-love couple could have a romantic weekend in an idyllic town in the mountains, with perfect Christmas decorations and lots of twinkle lights. They would make snow angels and then go for hot chocolate to celebrate their love.
I would watch this. 🩷
Yes, and the big city lawyer is the woman, who realizes that she’s better off living a small town rural life. And it’s the dog that brings them together.
Well of course she is the big city career gal, that just needs a blue collar worker to domesticate her and make her see what’s really important. It’s the Hallmark way.
Wild. I need more information. I have a feeling she’s probably taken the dog before, or threatened to, hence the need for regular location updates and the fine? Something had to have happened before.
Could be wrong, but I’m guessing something must have happened for this to be in the settlement? I mean, I know that if they agree then it’s whatever, the Court isn’t going to mess with it. But, if she had an issue with it, she clearly could have gotten that stricken and I can only think didn’t because he must have something that would show why it was reasonable?
I wonder if the dog has been left with a relative or pet sitter instead of returned to him early? So now he wants a location? And cats can’t deal with back and forth, so one home is ideal. It’s great they didn’t have kids the way the pet split ended up.
If she keeps the dogs longer than the three weeks agreed, it will be 10k for each day following that. It’s very specific. Obviously, some incidents have happened before or no such clause would be put into a formal document. Also, as far as knowing the location, that just says to me she possibly was leaving the dogs somewhere for periods of time.
So no judgment from me.
Three weddings? That’s over the top.
I remember hin starring in Charmed. He was so hot back then.
Coop! It took me awhile to figure out where I knew him from. He’s aging well. Very well.
I feel bad they fought over the dog with custody arrangments, etc. but the cats are now in the custody of his brother! Poor cats, abandoned by both parents!
If there’s that much legalese devoted to it, something egregious happened to prompt it.
We can only guess, but it sounds like she took the dog and wouldn’t give it back. If he was the legal owner, but she took care of it more often, you can see how the situation would be fraught.
I’ve had a crush on Victor since his Days of Our Lives days, to Mutant X. I used to follow him on IG and a few months ago saw that he shared a thought from Jordan Peterson on his IG stories. That was a wrap for me after decades of thirsting after him. Hope that cute little Nova is deeply loved and cared for.
Oh noooo! That kills my lady boner and just bums me out in general. What a disappointing end to our long-standing lust for VW.