Chris Appleton has opened up about his former partner Kate “Katie” Katon and their children on a few occasions, but during a recent interview, he got candid about his experience coming out to them. While reflecting on how much he “really loved” Kate, Chris admitted to Jay Shetty in August 2025 that he “felt like he messed [her and their kids’] life up.” But what many fans are curious about is whether or not Kate was ever Chris’ wife.
Below, learn more about Chris’ past relationship with Kate, their family and his past marriage to ex-husband Lukas Gage.
Who Is Chris Appleton?
Chris is a popular celebrity hairstylist, who has worked with the likes of Ariana Grande, the Kardashian-Jenner family and more stars.
Does Chris Appleton Have an Ex-Wife?
No, Chris and Kate were never married; she was never his wife. But the former couple were together for several years before they split when Chris came out as gay in 2009.
During an August 2025 “On Purpose with Jay Shetty” podcast interview, Chris detailed the struggle he went through before coming out to Kate and their family.
“I was like, ‘I’m going to hurt all these people I’ve created this life with,’” Chris told Jay. “We were together for nine years, had two kids and it was a magical nine years. I honestly thought I had it all figured out.”
After realizing that he was gay, Chris recalled how everything “came crashing down” and added, “I really loved her. I didn’t want to be gay. I didn’t want to be different.”
Does Chris Appleton Have Kids?
Yes, Chris shares two kids with Katie: Billy and Kitty-blu. During his conversation with Jay in August 2025, Chris emphasized that his “job as a dad was to protect [his] kids” while recalling the moment he came out to them.
“I just didn’t want them to ever had that shame put onto them,” the celebrity hairstylist explained. “In a way, it felt like a disease, it felt like cancer, and I wanted to cut it out. Like, ‘if I could just get rid of that then I could be a good dad.’ … They were upset ’cause they knew I was upset. They were confused, and all of a sudden, I just felt like I just messed their life up. I felt like I’d failed as a dad because my job was to protect them. And if anyone ever hurt them, I would protect them. But I was the one hurting them.”
Chris then explained how he fell into a dark place by contemplating suicide. He admitted feeling “like it would be better for [his children] to have a dad that was dead than a dad that was gay.”
“And so I brought some painkillers, I brought a bottle of alcohol and I checked myself into a hotel,” he elaborated. “I took the tablets and drank the alcohol. I rang Kate, and I apologized for the pain that I’d caused.”
Upon surviving the suicide attempt, Chris said he felt something changing in him. He remembered thinking, “‘What about if I’m just gay and I just be that?’ I don’t really know where to begin with it, and I don’t know where it’s going to lead me, but it has to be better than what I’ve been doing.”
Why Did Chris Appleton & Lukas Gage Break Up?
Chris and Lukas never specified the reasons why they ended their marriage after six months, but their divorce filing cited “irreconcilable differences.”
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
