After more than a year of negotiations, former Hallmark couple Victor Webster, 51, and Shantel VanSanten, 39, finalized their divorce on July 1, 2024, according to a court document obtained by Heavy. Though neither party will pay spousal support, the settlement’s custody rulings regarding the actors’ pets are raising some eyebrows.
Webster has been granted “sole ownership” of Nova, per court documents, but VanSanten will have the right to take care of the dog for “reasonable periods of time,” as long as she provides updates about Nova’s location and any schedule changes.
However, if Nova is not returned within 72 hours of the agreed-upon drop-off time, VanSanten has to pay Webster $10,000 for each additional day that the dog is not returned, and if her time with Nova exceeds three weeks, the same daily penalty fee applies.
Meanwhile, custody for the former couple’s cats, Finnegan and Phillippa, has been granted to Webster’s brother, Vince. In exchange for him caring for the pets, VanSanten will pay him $750 per year for each cat, “for so long as both cats are confirmed to be alive and in Vince’s care.” If Webster’s brother ever becomes unable to care for either or both cats, the document stated, then custody would be awarded to VanSanten.
Though neither Webster or VanSanten directly addressed the settlement terms of their divorce, they both made social media posts on July 1 with subtle nods about their mindsets going forward.
Fans React to Victor Webster’s Dog Custody Verdict as He Pays Tribute to Pup
Webster, who joined Hallmark’s “Hannan Swensen Mysteries” franchise in April, often posts photos of himself and Nova out exploring nature together, and cheered his “adventure buddy” in an Instagram post on July 1, the same day the custody ruling was filed.
“Baby girl loves the adventures,” he captioned a photo of him holding Nova near a pond. “I get out and explore so much more because she enjoys it so much. Cheers to my adventure buddy. Pure of heart, full of love and will never let me down.”
Fans loved seeing Webster gush about the dog, flooding the post with comments, but in other spots on social media, many people expressed their surprise over the custody ruling.
“$10k per day late fee is insane,” one person tweeted about the penalty fee for VanSanten. “i get that people love their pets but that seems like a lot.”
On a Reddit chat about settlement, one person wrote, “I love my dog but if the other person got custody they can just have them because that sound so bothersome to update where your whereabouts are all the time. I hope it works for them though.”
Another quipped, “Saving these terms just in case my husband and I ever get divorced.”
Webster and VanSanten adopted Nova in February 2019, according to an Instagram post he shared at the time.
“We’ve been following a bunch of dog rescue sites waiting for the perfect pup to steal our hearts,” he wrote. “I lost all 3 of my previous pups in the last 2 years and needed to take some time to heal from that but when we saw Nova we fell in love. Her sweet eyes, goofy ears, little underbite and perfect size.”
In March 2020, Webster posted a photo of Nova curled up next to their two cats, calling it a “Furball cuddle puddle.”
Victor Webster & Shantel VanSanten Will Split Proceeds From Sale of 2 Properties
Webster and VanSanten met and fell in love while filming the Hallmark movie “Love Blossoms” in 2017 and had three separate weddings, beginning with a civil ceremony in August 2021, per Brides magazine.
But by January 2023, Webster had filed for divorce. In an LA Superior Court document reviewed by Heavy, the official date of the dissolution of their marriage is listed as December 31, 2023.
In addition to their pet custody agreement, they’ve also agreed to split the proceeds of their Los Angeles home, per court documents, though VanSanten will pay Webster $25,000 to “equalize the split.” According to Redfin, the home was sold in May 2023 for $2,410,000.
Court documents also said the former couple would split the proceeds from the sale of a second residence in Spicewood, Texas. But VanSanten was granted 100% ownership of a rural New York property she purchased in November 2022.
The exes have also agreed that neither will pay the other spousal support, per the court documents, “because each Party is in good health and self-supporting.”
VanSanten, who first rose to fame on “One Tree Hill,” has not appeared in another Hallmark movie since her project with Webster, who has become a fan-favorite on the network. Since 2022, according to IMDb, she’s played Special Agent Nina Chase in CBS’ “FBI” franchise and appeared in 31 episodes of AppleTV+’s “For All Mankind” between 2019 and 2023.
Webster, meanwhile, first made a name for himself on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives,” appearing in 81 episodes in 1999 and 2000, per IMDb. After many roles on a variety of TV series over the years, including “Melrose Place” in 2009, “Continuum” from 2012 to 2015, and “Workin’ Moms” in 2019 and 2020, Webster began appearing on Hallmark Channel in 2016’s “Summer Villa.” He’s appeared in 15 Hallmark movies and four episodes of the Hallmark series “Chesapeake Shores.”
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