Lisa Whelchel Reveals She’s Divorced

Lisa Whelchel revealed that she divorced from husband Steve Cauble in March, just days before the Facts of Life star left to start work on Survivor: Philippines.

The actress recently spoke to People Magazine about the split, saying that:

“The divorce was final on March 1, and [I] went out to be on Survivor on March 10. Going out to Survivor was helpful for me, to divert my attention and not just dwell on the loss.”

Whelchel and Cauble were married for 24 years and have three grown children together. The actress has also worked in Christian ministry with her husband since the end of The Facts of Life in 1988. She added that:

“I just never thought it would happen to me. It was painful to realize that it wasn’t going to work out.”

But despite the divorce, the 49-year-old assures that she and Cauble, 61, remain close and even watched the premiere of Survivor: Philippines together along with their kids.

Lisa Whelchel also spoke with Zap2it, saying that going on survivor was part of what she called a midlife exploration. The actress stated:

“This last fall my youngest went to college I had this wide open, ‘Oh wow’ — stereotypical empty nest. ‘What do I do with my life?’ Last summer I went on a vision quest to answer that question. I wasn’t recruited [for 'Survivor'] — I was going after it.”

Of her recent split with Steve Cauble, Whelchel says, “We will always be friends. And we will always be family, too.”

Are you surprised to lean that Lisa Whelchel is divorced from her husband Steve Cauble?