RHOP’s Ashley Darby Files for Divorce From Estranged Husband Michael Darby

The Real Housewives of Potomac star Ashley Darby has filed for divorce from her estranged husband, Michael Darby.

Ashley, 36, filed to end her marriage to Darby, 65, on Wednesday, November 20, according to Page Six, citing court documents.

Meanwhile, TMZ quoted Michael, an Australian businessman, as saying that the duo reached “an amicable and fair settlement” through their prenup. They have reportedly decided to share custody of their sons Dean, 5, and Dylan, 3. 

Ashley and Mark’s official uncoupling has been a long time coming. In April 2022, she confirmed that they’d separated after eight years of marriage. 

“We are aware that there will be many speculative views as to why we have made this decision,” she told Bravo’s The Daily Dish at the time. “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.”

Ashley spoke exclusively to Us Weekly in November 2023 about how the exes were handling the split.

“We are currently doing something called parallel parenting,” Ashley said at the time. “I learned that terminology from TikTok, and yes, it very much applies.”

According to Ashley, parallel parenting involves less personal interaction with the ex-spouse than traditional coparenting does. “We’re just really only communicating for the children, which I think is the best until we get to a better place personally,” she explained.

She told Us that her rapport with Michael had taken a turn for the worse.

“I don’t actually know the turning point for him,” she said. “I don’t know where we became negative toward each other. But something changed.”

Ashley went on to confess that she’s disappointed in the way things are between her and Michael despite their split. “I was so in love with this man,” she told Us. “To be in love with somebody for 11 years and then not to be, on these terms, is very challenging. But that’s just life.”

She said that she was still “wading through the water” of the divorce process, but eventually, “I’m going to get there. I don’t know when, but one step at a time.”

Post-separation, the reality star was publicly linked to Summer House star Luke Gulbranson, but the pair split in January 2023 after several months of dating. 

“I’ve learned that maybe I should just slow down a little bit, because when I like somebody, I just nose dive,” Ashley said later. “I’m like, ‘Hey, do you want me to do your laundry, cook for you? Do you want me to buy you this?’ And I can’t do that.”