Real Housewives of Potomac star Ashley Darby has confirmed that she and husband Michael Darby have officially separated.
The Bravo couple, who share two sons, two-year-old Dean and one-year-old Dylan, have had their fair share of marital woes throughout the years. Much of it has been captured by Bravo cameras, including sexual harassment claims and multiple infidelities. It seems now that the two have reached an impasse.
In a statement given to Bravo’s Daily Dish on April 19, Ashley stated:
“Almost eight years ago, when Michael and I said ‘I do,’ we anticipated sharing every single day together from that moment forward. Unfortunately, that is not our current reality. We have decided to separate. We are aware that there will be many speculative views as to why we have made this decision. People will be quick to assume that the causes were too much intrusion by reality TV into the most personal parts of our lives, age gap issues, cultural problems, or child-rearing differences. Pieces of all these may have affected our pure love for each other, but no one reason is the root cause of our mutual decision to go our separate ways,” she said. “We are now both at very different stages in our lives and have different goals for our futures. We both want the other to achieve true happiness and fulfillment and feel that we cannot do this together.”
Ashley continued by stating that the former couple’s sole purpose and focus is on raising their children together amicably, saying that though they may no longer be in love, they are forever connected.
“While our romantic bond is broken, we will always love and respect each other. We also know that true happiness can only be achieved by continuing to work together and putting our hearts and souls into raising our two beautiful boys, Dean and Dylan. They will always feel loved and supported, for they were truly created out of love. As this is a personal matter for us, we appreciate everyone who has been a part of our journey and ask for your continued support by respecting us as we go through this emotional situation,” Ashley concluded.
Ashley and Michael have been a part of The Real Housewives of Potomac since its inception, and viewers have watched their relationship go through its ups and downs. We’ve seen Ashley seek therapy for help in her marriage and postpartum difficulties. Most recently, Michael was caught out having drinks with a mystery woman among others. However, Ashley quickly shut down any cheating allegations. Now, though, somehow, someway, things have definitely shifted.
It seems Ashley is taking the separation in stride and is looking back on her marriage as a time of happiness.
Ashley shared a sweet tribute to her and Michael’s “magical” eight years-long marriage.
Season seven of The Real Housewives of Potomac has reportedly begun filming, so viewers will more than likely see how the couple’s separation plays out on their screens soon.