When I sit down to watch a new Hallmark release, I’m comforted knowing the characters are going to find their person, work out any differences and find their way to a happily ever after. That’s not always the case in real life, however, as even two Hallmark lovebirds who meet on set sometimes split after a few years. Such is what happened to popular star Victor Webster and Shantel VanSanten.
It seemed like a real Hallmark-esque romance. The couple met on the Hallmark movie Love Blossoms back in 2016, a movie that shot in the country of Belgium. (Those overseas Hallmark set pics are always romantic.) They weathered the pandemic together. They got a dog. He proposed on a mountain while they were hiking in 2021. Sweetly, the couple got married three times, in what feels like a rom-com plot: First, in a civil ceremony so she could have the same anniversary as her grandparents. They then were married again in California and had a third ceremony near the actress’ home in Minnesota. It was a story made for the screen.
Instead of a Hallmark reunion, it's an un-union. By 2023, things had soured and in April of that year we learned they’d split, with Webster filing first and citing “irreconcilable differences” as the reason behind the filing. It took a while to reach a divorce agreement, even though they’d split assets like the sale of their home, and in July of this year we learned why. The most notable terms have a lot to do with the custody of the dog, Nova, they shared. Webster will get custody of the dog, while VanSanten will have visitation rights, which isn’t particularly odd. The memorable bit?
According to the terms of their divorce (via Us Magazine), when VanSanten has the dog, she must check in regularly with Webster and share updates about Nova’s location. Finally, if for whatever reason she has the dog for more than three weeks, she will be required to pay Webster $10,000 per day past the three-week return date. The two also shared a couple of cats who will live with the actor’s brother.
It’s clear Victor Webster is very fond of the dog. Many of his social media posts include sweet Nova and often they are often seen doing outdoor activities together. You can see and example of Victor hanging with the adorable pupper, below.
Yes, this celebrity dog custody agreement is a bit more stringent than what you might expect. But given Webster’s passion, it makes sense. The actor has been very open about how much he loves dogs on his Instagram, writing back during the pandemic that he’s a big canine guy.
I like dogs more than most people I know and for good reason. They know nothing but love for us and live to please us. I could take a page form their book and look for the positive all the time. Unconditional love , even with messy hair, haven’t worked out, bad mood, morning breath...well, everything else, that’s where I’ll draw the line.
Look, I get life is not one of the best Hallmark romances. It's messy and complicated, and sometimes even its splits come in varying shapes and forms. Webster said it himself on his Stories early this month, noting he doesn't want to be "crazy in love" like the movies moving forward. Instead, what is he looking for? He says he wants to "be calm in love, stable in love, patient in love." I hope he finds what he's looking for.
