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Ashley Darby Addresses Michael's RHOP Finale Behavior: "It All Just Culminated That Night"
Here's how The Real Housewives of Potomac couple's vacation went after the dramatic party.
Season 5 of The Real Housewives of Potomac started with a bang, and it went out just as fiercely with a drama-filled finale party.
Robyn and Juan Dixon's holiday party took a chaotic turn in the December 6 episode of RHOP when Ashley Darby's husband, Michael, confronted Candiace Dillard Bassett's husband, Chris, during the night. The drama continued as Michael and Ashley made their exit from the event.
Ashley addressed her husband's behavior in the RHOP Season 5 finale during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on December 6. "Michael, first of all, does not regret his actions. He feels as though maybe things were blown a little bit out of proportion," Ashley explained. "But ultimately, Michael has had a really strong opinion about Candiace and Chris, mainly because Candiace and Chris have had a really strong opinion about him, and it all just culminated that night."
The RHOP ladies broke down the confrontation in the Season 5 finale during The Real Housewives of Potomac After Show, including Candiace, who remembered being surprised by what was coming from Chris.
"My husband doesn't get upset. He doesn't get angry. He's not agitated easily, unless he's talking to me because, you know, I'm his wife. But just outside of me, he doesn't get perturbed easily. When I saw his face, I knew. I didn't even know what happened, but I was upset for him because it's like who is messing with my man?" Candiace recalled in the above clip. "And I get to him, and then I realized what was going on, and then it's like, OK, Michael F--king Darby, you can't get right. You just can't get right."
Ashley also shared in the RHOP After Show that she had an immediate reaction to the conflict. "When I heard commotion and I heard someone say 'Michael,' when I say a fight or flight response kicked in, I wanted to jump across that booth and get involved in whatever was going on. And at that time, I didn't care who it was. I didn't care if Michael was getting into a fight with Juan, I didn't care, he could have been fighting Chris Samuels, I would have put myself in there," she explained. "That liquid courage, it comes about every now and again, but it was very strong right then because now that Michael is more than my husband, he's also the father of my son, I'm super protective of him now."
It was revealed at the end of the RHOP Season 5 finale that Ashley and Michael went on a family vacation to the Bahamas with their son, Dean, the day after Robyn and Juan's party, which made Andy Cohen's jaw drop as he watched the episode, he revealed during Ashley's appearance on WWHL. "Yeah, we went to the Bahamas and stayed there for a week," Ashley confirmed on the talk show.
Ashley previously shared photos and videos from her family vacation on Instagram in December 2019. "Our first family beach vacation in the books and it was AMAZING!" Ashley gushed in a post on Instagram on December 18, 2019.
Ashley and Michael are currently expecting their second child together, a boy, who is due to arrive in February 2021. The Potomac Housewife recently celebrated entering her third trimester on Instagram, sharing that she is filled with "so much love" as she gets ready to welcome "Baby D."
Want more RHOP? New episodes air every Sunday at 9/8c or catch up on this season through the Bravo app.
Get your first look at the RHOP Season 5 reunion, below.
