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Ashley Darby Gets Emotional About Her Divorce from Michael Darby: "I've Had a Hard Time"
Plus, learn what the RHOP cast member had to say about wanting more kids in the future as she navigates co-parenting with her ex.
Ashley Darby is getting candid about her relationship with her ex, Michael Darby, after officially filing for divorce from him in late November 2024. The Real Housewives of Potomac cast member had been married to Michael for nearly eight years before separating in April 2022, and in a recent interview with The Daily Dish, she opened up about how she's finding herself in the midst of it all.
"I started that relationship when I was so young," she explained. "We met really just before my 22nd birthday and I realized now that I didn't fully know who I was at that time. And naturally, I mean, now as a 36-year-old, I understand at 22, 23, you really don't fully know who you're morphing into."
Ashley Darby reveals she's finding her identity outside of her marriage
Ashley noted that she didn't know herself without Michael. "A lot of my identity was intertwined with being a wife and being a partner to someone else," she continued. "So now I've been really honing in on developing an identity as Ashley and I really can't remember who I was before."
"I used to not dwell on anything and I just roll with the punches and now I think because of this big change, I've had a hard time just moving on," she added.
Ashley and Michael, who share two sons together — Dean Darby and Dylan Darby, have insisted on remaining amicable for their kids. And so much of her identity lies in being a mother.
"I've learned that I need to really know who I am and I'm developing an identity outside of just marriage and motherhood," she revealed. "Obviously motherhood is still very integral to me, but right outside of those things."
Ashley Darby shares the status of her co-parenting with Michael Darby
Although there was a "stint" where they were "parallel parenting," Ashley and Michael are now "doing pretty well with co-parenting." She explained the difference to The Daily Dish.
"Co-parenting is a little different in that we actually communicate," she said. "Parallel parenting is where you really don't talk at all. So thankfully, we're not doing that. We're actually conversing."
But it hasn't been super easy for Ashley, who has admittedly gotten emotional during this process. "I actually cried a little bit because my kids spent Halloween night with their dad," she said. "They really want to be with their dad. So, after they left, I was really sad and I cried because that's the first time in a long time that we'd been together as a family. And I was like, 'Wow, this is what it could have been like if our relationship had been healthier. This is what it could have been.'"
She also expected to be "a little further along" in her relationship with Michael. "We get along well, but it's not like I want to be friends and we're not really at the friend place yet," she said.
Does Ashley Darby want more kids?
It depends. "My answer changes every day," Ashley told The Daily Dish. "A lot of it changes when I date somebody."
"The ultimate answer is, 'I don't know.' Part of the reason is that it's so situational for me right now," she explained, noting that she wants to find a partner who is a "good fit."
Does Ashley Darby have a boyfriend?
As Ashley navigates dating life after divorce, she added about potential boyfriends, "Maybe a guy who's like, 40 right? Has a kid or two [and] already has been married. That would be kind of ideal."
Ashley Darby Reveals Divorce Status from Michael Darby
Ashley confirmed her divorce news in November. "Signing divorce papers is bittersweet. My friend put it this way: leaving a marriage is like leaving a house you’ve created memories in for years," Ashley told The Daily Dish via email on Friday, Nov. 22. "Just before you close the door for the last time, you think back on all the incredible things you created together like your children and lasting memories, and then you just have to close the door and move on."
She added, "Even though I’ve been separated for 2 years, there’s always been a feeling that I’m still attached in a way. Now, that’s officially ending and I have the freedom to do life my own way, and I’m very excited to see what that looks like."
— Additional reporting by Cynthia Robinson
