Jana Kramer opened up about experiencing “healthy jealousy” in her relationship with her fiancé, Allan Russell, particularly when she films movie scenes with actors playing her love interest.
During the latest episode of Whine Down with Jana Kramer, Kristen Brust wanted to know whether Russell feels “protective” when Kramer stars in a movie that includes romantic scenes. Since beginning their relationship, Kramer took on the leading role in A Cowboy Christmas Romance (the first Lifetime Christmas movie to include a sex scene), and in the unreleased Lifetime “Ripped from the Headlines” thriller, Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story. Kramer stars in that movie opposite Austin Nichols, fellow One Tree Hill actor, and her real-life daughter, Jolie Rae Caussin, 8, appearing in her first movie role.
“We all know he’s very old school, right? He’s very protective,” Kramer said of Russell when she responded to Brust. “He loves me so much, and he’s just in the kind of mind frame, you know, he doesn’t love another male being around me all day, every day for 14-plus hours. He’s like, ‘that’s never gonna make me feel good, whether I like the person or I don’t. He’s like, ‘it’s just…my love for you, my protection over you, is always going to not love the fact that you’re around someone that much during the day.’”
Brust acknowledged that her own husband, Preston Brust, one-half of musical duo LOCASH, would feel the same why. she explained that’s why she asked whether Russell feels “protective” while his fiancée films romantic scenes with male co-stars.
Kramer clarified that Russell is “not jealous,” and explained the difference between him and her ex-husband.
“My ex was never jealous, and I was always like, ‘well that kind of stinks,’ you know, because he would not care if I was being flirty…(or rather) being free and fun and whatever, he wouldn’t care,” the podcast host, artist, actress and author shared. “And I look back sometimes and I’m like, ‘was I trying to be that way to then get attention, to want him to be jealous, because I want him to want me and not the other women?’ So, I think maybe there was a subconscious layer where I would maybe do that to try to get his attention, but I never got his attention. He would just say he didn’t care. But then also I realized he wanted me to even the score, which is something he said when we got divorced. He’s like, ‘I wish you would have cheated so that I wouldn’t have been the only one.’ And I was like, ‘that’s why I never would. Because I don’t want you to have that over me.’ …I brought that to therapy one time because when I was still married to him… I was like, it kind of bums me out that he doesn’t care at all, or doesn’t seem jealous. And it’s not that I want jealous, because I’ve been with those jealous guys and it’s not fun. But with [Kramer’s ex], it was nothing. And [Kramer’s therapist]’s like, ‘there’s a thing called healthy jealousy,’ and I think that’s what Allan has. It’s what I have with him it’s just healthy jealousy. I wouldn’t love him (spending) all day with a female. He was coaching a women’s team. I actually had zero jealousy around that, but you know, if it was maybe one on one, I don’t know. I’d probably have healthy jealousy around it. But I wouldn’t have been psycho or controlling like I was in the past.
“(Allan is) so respectful. He’s amazing with Austin,” Kramer continued later. “He also knows my history with Austin where, you know, Austin and I were roommates together in One Tree Hill. We have been friends post-show, as well, and I respect Austin a lot. …I want Allan to feel so comfortable and safe.”
Kramer and Russell announced in May 2023 — shortly after making their red carpet debut at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards — that they were engaged after about six months of dating. Kramer announced shortly afterward that she was pregnant with Baby No. 3, her first with Russell. They welcomed son Roman James Russell in November 2023. Kramer posted photos of her then-newborn (including snapshots if him with Jolie and Jace, now 5, her two children from her previous marriage), and shared that she’s “blessed beyond measure for this little miracle.” Kramer and Russell plan to get married this year.