Selling Sunset star Chelsea Lazkani’s estranged husband, Jeff Lazkani, responded to her divorce filing.
According to People, Jeff filed his own paperwork on Tuesday, April 2, seeking a divorce due to irreconcilable differences and accusing Chelsea, 31, of “exhibiting suspicious behavior” throughout their marriage. He specifically claimed that many of his “personal belongings” disappeared or were removed from their shared home in California after Chelsea filed for divorce.
The businessman accused Chelsea of striking him “in the face in an aggressive manner,” allegedly resulting in his glasses breaking and causing a “small cut” on his face. Jeff argued that he doesn’t think he and Chelsea should reside on the same property for the well-being of their children: Maddox, 5, and Melia, 3.
Jeff went on to claim that Chelsea “provokes” him and “records him in an attempt to catch him overreacting to her.” He accused the reality star of being “physically aggressive” before and after she filed for divorce, allegeding that she “installed a lock” on the primary bedroom and “remotely monitors his access to the property, and records him at the property.”
The declaration stated that Jeff would like “exclusive use and possession of” their five-bedroom home, which he has been the primary owner of since it was purchased in 2018.
Us Weekly confirmed on March 27 that Chelsea filed for divorce after seven years of marriage. While her paperwork did not cite an exact date of separation, Chelsea did request joint physical and legal custody for their kids. She also asked for spousal support but didn’t request for the court to terminate Jeff’s ability to ask for alimony.
In his response, Jeff noted that he does not want the court to award spousal support to either party. Jeff claimed he was “stunned” after finding out about the divorce via a text message from a media outlet. He has since discovered that Chelsea allegedly opened a separate bank account around the time she filed.
Jeff confirmed that the last time he slept in the home was the day he found out about the divorce. According to Jeff, the pair haven’t slept in the primary bedroom with Chelsea since shortly after their second child was born. He made attempts to move back into the room, but Chelsea “refused” after being “accustomed to her own sleep space.”
Chelsea and Jeff met on Tinder when she visited the U.S. in 2015. She ultimately chose to stay in Los Angeles after they began dating.
“We spoke about 15 times before getting together. I don’t want to waste my time and give my energy to somebody if I don’t think it will be worth it,” she told the Daily Mail in May 2022. “I felt like I knew him before we even met and the connection was immediate.”
The pair got married after two years of dating. Selling Sunset viewers were offered a glimpse into their relationship when Chelsea joined the cast in season 5. Chelsea’s decision to end her marriage could potentially be featured in the upcoming season of Selling Sunset. The cast confirmed during the season 7 reunion, which dropped on Netflix in November 2023, that the series was already picked up for more episodes.