When Chris Appleton shows up on your feed, it’s usually alongside Kim Kardashian or Jennifer Lopez. He’s the guy behind the glass hair, the impossible snatched ponytails, and the kind of Hollywood glamour that looks like it requires a magic wand. But lately, people have been digging. They’re looking for the "Chris Appleton ex wife relationship."
Here is the thing: Chris never actually had a wife.
I know, the internet loves a good wedding mystery. But the woman everyone is searching for is Katie Katon. They weren't married, but they were together for nine years. That is a lifetime in the world of celebrity gossip. They started out as teenagers in a Leicester hair salon and ended up building a family before the world even knew Chris’s name.
The Leicester Years: More Than Just Coworkers
Chris and Katie met when they were basically kids. Chris started at Georges Hairdressing in England when he was only 13. Katie was there too. Eventually, she became the managing director of the salon. Honestly, they were the ultimate power couple of the local hair scene long before the Kardashian era.
They weren't just "dating." They were building a life.
By the time Chris was 19, they had their first child, Billy. Two years later, Kitty-Blu arrived. If you look at photos of them from that time, they looked like the perfect, standard nuclear family. Chris has since described those nine years as "magical." He wasn't faking it. He genuinely loved Katie.
But there was a massive weight he was carrying. He had been holding his breath about his sexuality since he was eight years old.
Coming Out and the "Ex-Wife" Label
The reason so many people search for a "wife" is because of how established their life was. When you have two kids and a decade-long partnership, the "wife" label just sort of sticks in the public imagination.
When Chris finally came out at 26, it wasn't some casual announcement. It was a total life collapse.
He told Jay Shetty on the On Purpose podcast that he felt like he was "breaking" his family. He actually used the word "disease" to describe how he felt about his own truth back then—not because being gay was wrong, but because he felt it was a threat to the people he loved most.
Why Katie Katon is the Real Hero Here
Most breakups after a decade are messy. Add a "coming out" bombshell to that, and you usually get a lifetime of resentment. But Katie didn't do that.
- She mourned: She admitted to Chris that she had to "mourn" the version of him she thought she knew.
- She supported: She was the first person he told.
- She stayed: Not as a partner, but as a co-parent and best friend.
Chris has gone on record saying Katie was "incredibly supportive." Today, she’s a psychotherapist. It makes sense, right? She navigated one of the most complex emotional transitions possible and came out the other side with her family intact.
The Kids: Billy and Kitty-Blu
If you want to see the proof of how well the Chris Appleton ex wife relationship (or "ex-partner" relationship) actually worked, look at the kids.
Billy and Kitty-Blu are adults now. Billy is 21 and Kitty-Blu is 20. They aren't hiding in the shadows, either. Kitty-Blu moved to Los Angeles at 17 to live with Chris and is currently a makeup artist and model. She even appeared on Selling Sunset recently.
There’s no "broken home" vibe here.
The kids grew up with a dad who was honest and a mom who was strong. Chris even shared that it was actually Katie’s mother—the kids' grandmother—who ended up telling Billy and Kitty-Blu that their dad was gay. They were 6 and 8 at the time. It was a family effort to make sure the kids felt safe even as the "traditional" structure changed.
What Happened with Lukas Gage?
You can't talk about Chris’s relationships without mentioning the whirlwind that was Lukas Gage. This is the only time Chris actually did have a spouse.
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They got married in Las Vegas in April 2023. Kim Kardashian officiated. Shania Twain sang. It was peak celebrity chaos. But it lasted six months.
Lukas later called the marriage a "manic episode." Chris was more diplomatic, saying that just because a relationship doesn't last forever doesn't mean it wasn't meaningful. He told Attitude magazine that he’d rather "love and fall" than never feel anything at all.
Comparing the Lukas marriage to the Katie Katon partnership is like night and day. One was a six-month sprint in the Hollywood spotlight; the other was a nine-year foundation built in a small-town hair salon.
The Reality of Their Bond Today
Honestly, the most impressive part of this whole story is that Chris and Katie still spend holidays together.
They aren't just "friendly for the kids." They are actually friends. When Chris gets emotional about his career or his past, Katie is the one he calls. She’s the one who reminds him how far he’s come.
Key Lessons from the Chris Appleton Story
- Labels are messy. People call her the "ex-wife" because it's easier, but their bond was deeper than a legal document.
- Honesty is a slow burn. Chris waited nearly 20 years to be himself, but doing it with kindness for his partner saved their friendship.
- Co-parenting is possible. Moving the kids across the world and keeping both parents involved requires zero ego.
If you’re going through a transition or trying to navigate a "non-traditional" family dynamic, look at these two. They proved that you can "divorce" the romantic part of a relationship without destroying the person.
The next time you see Chris Appleton on a red carpet, remember he’s not just a celebrity stylist. He’s a guy who survived a very public (and very private) transformation, backed by a woman who chose grace over bitterness.
Actionable Insight: If you're navigating a complex family transition, prioritize "internal alignment" over public perception. Chris Appleton’s biggest regret was the time he spent "holding his breath." Whether it's a career change or a personal revelation, the fallout is usually more manageable when you approach it with the level of respect Chris and Katie showed each other.