Real Housewives of Potomac star Ashley Darby and her marriage to husband Michael Darby has been controversial since she first appeared on the show.
Since RHOP premiered in 2016, Michael Darby has done some pretty horrible things, including sexually assaulting a cameraman and cheating on Ashley.
But Ashley says the cheating actually allowed her to get real with her fellow castmates about her marriage. And it was a huge relief.
On the RHOP After Show, Ashley said,
“Strangely, Michael venturing out the way he did has allowed me to finally be expressive about how we have done this together, and it’s a big relief. I’ve made jokes and I’ve referenced it in the past to the women. Either they didn’t take me seriously, or they were just like, ‘Ah, that Ashley!’ But now that this has happened with Michael, they want more details.”
She continued,
“I guess the story is more salacious now, and they really want to know the details, and I’m happy to share. When the mood strikes, and I’m attracted to someone, and she’s attracted to me, and Michael comes over and there’s a mutual attraction, it is what it is.”
Ashley used their history of threesomes to explain Michael’s cheating but there’s a huge difference between a couple mutually agreeing to add a third partner and one person stepping out of a relationship without the other’s consent.

Her castmate Robyn Dixon thought the same thing. While on the Juicy Scoop With Heather McDonald podcast, she said,
“Honestly, to me, that felt like a deflection from the real topic. I didn’t see what one had to do with the other. She’s saying they’ve had experiences together in the past. OK, but we’re not talking about the past. She was almost taking responsibility for his behavior and, you know, why.”
Regardless, Ashley and Michael appear to be going strong. Ashley is currently pregnant with the couple’s second child. She gave birth to their first child Dean in July 2019.
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