Although she’s been divorced for nearly a decade, Sutton Stracke was dealt another blow from her ex-husband during The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills‘ Season 15 supersized premiere. She revealed shocking news in the episode: Christian Stracke had asked for an annulment from the Catholic Church.
“I got the notice that it was annulled. My marriage has been eradicated from the Catholic Church,” Sutton said in the Dec. 4 episode.
She explained, “A year ago, I received an email from the Roman Catholic Church, stating that my ex had applied for an annulment. And when I spoke to my ex about that, he said that he thought this would make us become better friends… Of course, I disagreed.”
A particular pain point for Sutton was that the letter was addressed with her maiden name, Brown.
“Ohhhh, that’s disrespectful,” Erika Jayne commented, as Sutton’s mother, Reba, chimed in, “Sent you a message: you don’t matter.”
“You know, we were married for 17 years,” Sutton said in her confessional. “I think that Christian has an urge of control. ‘Take my name, now, I’m going to take it away from you.’”
Sutton Stracke explains why her marriage to Christian fell apart
The Dec. 4 episode wasn’t the first time that Sutton has hinted that the demise of her marriage was centered around power. Back on the RHOBH Season 13 premiere, Sutton shared that when they first wed, she and Christian “were on equal footing,” but all that changed once she gave birth to her daughter, Porter.
“My power diminished,” Sutton said at the time. “This became, ‘Here’s your allowance.’”
Sutton has also called the six-figure-a-month spousal support she receives from Christian a blessing and a burden.
“Spousal support — they come with an anchor,” Sutton explained to Jennifer Tilly in RHOBH Season 13. “I’m not going to give that up… but I don’t want the anchor. I don’t want it. I want complete freedom.”
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Sutton has expressed her hope in the past that she and her ex might one day get to a more peaceful place.
“I did want to say to Christian, ‘Look, we’re always going to have a relationship. We’re always going to be parents together, grandparents together, and have lives that intermingle. And I want to thank you for being a good dad,” she said on the Season 13 The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills After Show.
Sutton Stracke opens up about being an empty nester
Sutton also shared another big life update with the ‘Wives during the RHOBH Season 15 premiere: She’s ow officially an empty nester. With Porter and her son Philip out of the house, Sutton celebrated her 18-year-old son James’ high school graduation in June 2025.
“Losing James to college is going to be hard for me,” Sutton confessed during the Dec. 4 episode.
Sutton later called Kyle Richards and shared that she’d just taken James to the airport “for a summer trip to Europe with all of his friends.”
“Now the nest, not to be depressing, will be empty,” Kyle pointed out on the call, but shared there was a bright side. “We can go do stuff! We can have some freedom!”
Sutton agreed, “We are gonna do stuff.
RELATED: Sutton Stracke Gets Sentimental Sharing at Look at Son James’ College Life: “Back at the Haunt”
She shared posts of her trip to the East Coast in August to drop James off at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and even showed off James’ dorm room.
“Baby bird is free and out of the nest!” she wrote in the social media post. “Wishing you the best and most wonderful next four years full of friendship and love, courage and strength, knowledge and kindness, growth and wisdom. I love you, James.”
Don’t miss Sutton opening up about the demise of her friendship with Garcelle Beauvais and where their friendship stands now.