Unpopular opinion: Ashley Darby is one of my favorite housewives. Yes, she is messy, messy, messy. But she is also smart and funny and always moves the Real Housewives of Potomac storyline along. She’s just damn good at what she does as a housewife. One thing I will never understand, and I mean, NEVER, is what she sees in her husband. Michael Darby is the worst. Truly. He’s been accused of groping multiple times, since the show’s very inception. One of those alleged gropes was a cameraman for RHOP. The incident resulted in an internal investigation by Bravo and sexual assault charges. Not to mention a heated storyline of the season. The charges were ultimately dropped.
As if that wasn’t enough to drop this man, it gets way worse. We all know about the cheating rumors that have dogged the couple. In 2020, Michael was allegedly caught with another woman on video. In a very compromising position that involved spanking. Then in 2021, Michael had to address gossip after he was seen out with another woman. While Ashley was at home with their two young children, mind you. According to Michael, “So I went out and had a good time and, of course, there’s fans all over the place. I’m always going to have pictures taken of me in places. I really don’t care anymore. I have a good time and I love this woman dearly and we’re together forever.” And Ashley stood by him again.
So, hit me baby one more time because Michael is being accused of stepping out on Ashley yet again. As reported by Reality Blurb, Michael was recently spotted with another woman at a hotel in South Caroline. With no Ashley in sight. A photograph of the scene surfaced on Reddit, where users started to react. One said, “What are you doing here without ASHLEY?!” Another added, “He’s like ‘Fawk, I gawt caught.” Someone else noted, “Someone looks none too pleased you’re taking his picture.” One more demanded, “How could he do this to [Ashley]?” Finally, a user speculated about him being without Ashley while the new season of RHOP just started filming.
Ashley quickly took to her Instagram to defend her man. In a slide posted to her stories, she stated, “That article is bogus. Michael was at a wedding this weekend, and the people pictured are his friends of over 30 years.” She concluded, “Michael and I will always be transparent about what’s happening between us. Leave the fables to Aesop.” Ok, so in fairness, this is a pretty innocent photo. One that would likely be a nonissue if Michael hadn’t been linked to cheating so many times in the past. So Ashley can call them fables all she wants but she can’t be surprised that fans are wondering.
So despite all the red flags over the years, Ashley maintained that she doesn’t just let Michael slide. She previously revealed, “I definitely do hold my husband accountable. I would say that not everyone gets to see everything we talk about. And you have to remember that my marriage goes every single day, 365 days a year. So, while yes, you’re seeing snippets of it, you have to remember that ultimately, you know, my marriage is an ever-steady presence in my life. So not everything is going to be on the television.”
TELL US – DO YOU THINK THE PICTURE OF MICHAEL OUT IS SUSPECT? WHY DO YOU THINK ASHLEY PUTS UP WITH HIM? WOULD YOU DEFEND YOUR PARTNER IF THEY ALLEGEDLY CHEATED MULTIPLE TIMES?
[Photo Credit: Bravo]
