Ashley Darby is the youthful soul that keeps the rest of the Real Housewives of Potomac young. Thanks to her TikToks and ability to chug a Corona with lime, Ashley has quickly become a fan favorite. Ashley debuted during Season 1 in an episode aptly titled Divas, Queens, and Bubalas. Fans quickly learned that Ashley was a former Miss District of Columbia who had married an older man, Michael Darby. Ashley was determined to infiltrate the prestigious Ptomoac society and make a name for herself. It just so happened that the name she made for herself was “golddigger.” Or at least that’s what Mia Thornton calls her.
New Beau, Who This?
Back in his heyday, Vernon Davis was a tight end in the NFL and played from 2006 until 2019. Most of Vernon’s career was played with the San Francisco 49ers. Towards the end of his NFL career, he was traded to the Denver Broncos and won a Super Bowl ring in 2015. Shortly before retiring, he also played for the Carolina Panthers and the Washington Commanders. Vernon waltzed his way onto Dancing with the Stars and even hosted a few reunions of MTV’s The Challenge. I dare say that Vernon is well-equipped with reality TV and could make quite the partner for Ashley if the seventh-grade crush ever evolves.
This season on RHOP, Ashely is being thrust into the spotlight when it comes to her questionable dating life. While hanging out in the DR, Ashley revealed she had a love connection with a retired NFL player. It turns out Vernon is Karen Huger’s personal trainer. She kicked off the conversation, sharing, “I’m starting off with weight training. Vernon is my friend, and he said, ‘Well, Karen, I’m going to take you through the training.'”
The Connection
It turns out that Ashley was already well-acquainted with the baller as the mother of two revealed, “OK, so Vernon and I are friends. So there’s nothing that’s transpired between Vernon and I, but we have flirted. The first time I met him was, actually, I was with Michael at Fight Night like eight or nine years ago, and then I saw him at your party. So he came out and hugged me and was like, ‘So good to see you.’ And I was like, ‘Good to see you too, boo.'”
The duo have hung out quite a bit in the public eye, but I think the get-togethers flew under the radar. Both Vernon and Ashley attended the Monster Energy BIG3 Celebrity Game at Capital One Arena on August 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. But Ashley still tried to downplay their flirtation telling Nneka Ihim, “We just talk on Instagram a little, that’s all. That’s all, it’s just a little. That’s all it is.”
Naturally, no one was convinced that an IG DM was “all” there was to the story. Karen noted in her confessionals, “Ashley turned a whole shade of pink. She was blushing…”
Dating Past
In April 2022, Ashley announced that she would be divorcing her Australian Daddy Warbucks after eight years of marriage. Fans had watched their relationship take a toll between his multiple cheating scandals and failed restaurants. For one bright moment, it looked like Ashley was about to get out of the toxic union, but then she figured out she wouldn’t be getting any alimony. So naturally, the two have yet to sign the paperwork, but the mother of two does have a nice car and a new home to show for her troubles.
Bravo fans were excited when they learned that Ashley was involved with Summer House‘s Luke Gulbranson, but the romance was shortlived. The pair were snapped at ice hockey games and seemed to hit it off after meeting at BravoCon, but sadly, both just grew apart. It did not help that Ashley’s divorce was all over the headlines and followed her where she went.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK ASHLEY AND VERNON HAVE A LOVE CONNECTION?
