Whitney Rose Opens Up About 'Devastating' Divorce

Whitney Rose, star of "The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City," has spoken publicly for the first time about her "devastating" divorce from Justin Rose. Rose stated in an interview with SiriusXM's Page Six Radio that she initiated the divorce filing, a decision that took considerable time to reach.

"I made that choice," Rose told hosts Evan Real and Danny Murphy, referencing the unfolding of her marital issues throughout the current season of the show. "It took me a long time to get here."

Rose, 40, emphasized her commitment to her nearly 17-year marriage, stating she "gave it [her] all" and "tried everything" to make it work. Despite the sadness and difficulty of the situation, she expressed finding happiness and peace. "I have peace in my heart through all the chaos," she said, adding, "I love Justin. I love my family."

With the divorce proceedings underway, Rose and her ex-husband are prioritizing their two children: daughter Bobbie, 16, and son Brooks, 13. "We are keeping it peaceful, amicable and we’re co-parenting well," she shared.

Rose reflected on how her upbringing and "Mormon roots" influenced her perspective on marriage and divorce. Having left the Mormon Church 20 years prior, she acknowledged lingering internal programming against divorce. "I still have that Mormon programming running through my brain that you don’t get divorced," she stated. "You don’t do that to your family."

She recalled a difficult childhood due to her parents' divorce and expressed a desire to shield her own children from similar struggles. Initially, Rose postponed telling her children about the divorce, fearing their reaction. However, upon hearing the news, her children responded positively, saying, "Thank you. We want you happy. We want dad happy."

Rose also noted that staying in an unhappy situation would be "more selfish" of her. She confirmed her children are doing "amazing" and are well because they have two loving parents who are both actively involved in their lives.

Page Six exclusively reported that Whitney Rose filed for divorce in Salt Lake City. Prior to the filing, Page Six had reported in July that Rose and her husband were "living separate lives" and were reportedly separated.

In addition to filing for divorce, Rose submitted a proposed parenting plan. The news of her divorce filing came just hours before she attended Page Six's second annual “Virtual Reali-Tea” Awards.