Real Housewives of Potomac’s Ashley Darby explains her separation from husband

After a season of small fights, Ashley Darby and her husband have separated.

Over the course of the second season of Real Housewives of Potomac, viewers saw the highs and lows of Ashley Darby’s marriage. From assertions that they were a totally healthy — and, let’s just say, active —couple on the show to get into a nasty fight over the direction of their shared restaurant, it was a roller coaster. A roller coaster that was decidedly going off the rails.

Despite initial assertions they would work through it, Ashley revealed on the RHOP reunion show that she and Michael had, in fact, split. Ashley has moved out of the condo the couple shared in Arlington — does anyone even live in Potomac? — but she also told Andy, the ladies and the viewing public that she wants to get back together.

Oz — the restaurant the couple co-owned -— was a major source of tension for the couple. It was not doing well and conflicting ideas over how to resuscitate and revive the restaurant led to quite the fight.

Ultimately, Ashley tells Bravo the business affected their marriage as such, stating, “I was really insecure about having a business at 28 years old, and I took that out on Michael quite a bit.”

Michael, for his part, thought communication, regardless of the facts of the business, was the greater factor. “We didn’t feel like we were communicating in a way that two people should at this stage in our relationship.“

Ashley said she wants to get back together and moving out was, “just to trial and see if maybe some time apart would bring us back together.”

Marital drama is the norm on RHOP

Marital shenanigans and husbands, generally, are a particularly fruitful well of drama on Real Housewives of Potomac.

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In addition to Ashley and Michael’s restaurant-related fights, there is the strange matter of Robyn Dixon living with and sleeping in the same bed as her ex Juan.

Gizelle Bryant, whose philandering pastor of an ex-husband may or may not be involved with a Real Housewife of Atlanta star, enjoys taking shots at Monique Samuel’s marriage. Not so much the tension of it but the fact it’s her source of wealth.

Karen Huger’s husband, nicknamed the Black Bill Gates, is in tax trouble. And last but not least, Charrisse Jordan Jackson’s husband was totally MIA after season 1 and the ladies really just want her to get laid.

Well, then. With all that going on, a straightforward separation —with a fairly reasoned understanding of why and an apparent earnest desire to get back together — seems fairly tame.