'RHOP' Star Ashley Darby Announces Separation From Michael After Almost Eight Years Of Marriage; Their Relationship Timeline

Ashley and Michael Darby, a married couple of Bravo’s Real Housewives of Potomac fame, have announced that they are separating.

In an exclusive statement shared with BravoTV.com, Darby confirmed that their focus moving forward is on working together for the sake of their children, but that their romantic connection is no more after nearly eight years together.

“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,” she stated. “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.”

“We are now both at very different stages in our lives and have different goals for our futures,” she continued. “We both want the other to achieve true happiness and fulfillment and feel that we cannot do this together.”

She concluded her vulnerable statement by stating, “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.”

She also shared her statement on Instagram, saying they almost made it eight “magical years.”

As mentioned, the couple share two sons, including 2-year-old Dean and 1-year-old Dylan. The couple initially wed in 2014 and made their debut as original cast members (Ashley at least) of RHOP in Season 1 back in 2016. They’ve shared the ups and downs of their relationship both on TV and social media, so sharing what could very well be the ending of it is not a shock. Darby has stated in the past that their marriage was an “unconventional” one. To see how the couple got to this point, check out our timeline below. See how they met, their journey to start a family, the scandals that have followed Michael, all the way up to the news of their separation this week.

01

She Had Her Eye on Him

According to Ashley, she couldn’t get enough of Michael when she first laid eyes on him while working at a bar when she was 22. “I was talking to my manager in the main office when I watched Michael walk in on the security camera,” she shared with BravoTV.com. “Sweet baby Cleatus! Even with a blurry, black and white picture, I was hooked. Love at first sight is real, y’all!”

02

She Asked Him Out on a Date

She Asked Him Out on a Date After liking what she saw in Michael, despite a nearly 30-year age difference, she strategized about how to connect with him. That included interning at his reality company before she finally just asked him out on a date. “There was never any confusion about his age – I knew Michael wasn’t a young stallion, but he has this je ne sais quoi quality about him,” she told BravoTV.com. “When I (nervously) approached him I couldn’t say, ‘You should wife me up,’ so I asked about a marketing internship at his company. After a few months, I gathered up the courage to ask him out for a real drink and that’s all she wrote! Moral of the story: trust your gut and go for what you want!”

03

They Got Engaged in Grand Fashion

The former pageant queen and Aussie businessman dated for more than a year, and made it through a brief breakup, when he popped the question. According to the Washington Post, he asked for her hand over the Hudson River during a helicopter ride while visiting NYC. Afterward, “They went to Tiffany & Co., where, she tells us, she got ‘the ring of my dreams.’”

04

They Married

After Ashley appeared on an episode of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ to find her bridal gown (she didn’t find what she was looking for at Kleinfeld after all), she and Michael said “I do” in 2014.

05

They Started a Family

Michael was previously married with children, so Ashley became a stepmother to his two adult children. However, the young bride wanted to have some children of her own. After some initial struggles, she announced in 2019 that they were expecting their first child, welcoming son Dean in July of that year. Two years later, they welcomed another son, Dylan, in 2021. Ashley said of that good news, “our little family is complete.”

06

Allegations and Cheating Rumors

There were cracks before the rumors, as the couple admitted that they separated for a time in 2017. But things got complicated in 2018, after Michael was accused of groping the backside of a cameraman while filming RHOP. Charges of assault were filed, but the case was dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Ashley stood by Michael during that rough time, as he claimed the incident was merely just him bumping into the cameraman. But the compromising situations were seemingly never-ending, including a photo of him naked in a hotel room with another woman after she had their first son, and there were claims that he was spotted spending time with another woman in 2021. Back in 2020 though, she shared why she stood by him. “I will tell you that I have not always been the best wife to my husband and I haven’t always been the most faithful,” she shared on Instagram. “So Michael has forgiven me. I’ve made mistakes and we’ve moved on and that’s how I can move forward with him.”

07

They Separated