RHOP's Ashley Darby Is Moving On With Summer House Star Luke Gulbranson
Ashley Darby's marriage to her now-estranged husband Michael Darby raised a lot of eyebrows with "The Real Housewives of Potomac" fans. During Season 1, she revealed that he was 29 years her senior, and despite many thinking that she married him for his money, the former pageant queen seemed smitten with her man. However, her marriage to Michael faced a plethora of challenges over the years.
According to People, a Bravo cameraman claimed Michael "grabbed and groped" his butt in 2018 during the filming of Monique Samuels' rainbow baby shower. In light of these allegations, Michael was hit with assault and improper sexual contact charges, which were later dismissed due to a lack of sufficient evidence. Two years later, Michael was again caught in a scandal when pictures of him with another woman surfaced, per Taste of Reality. The following year, Distractify reported Michael getting cozy with a woman at a bar. Amid all the allegations, Ashley staunchly defended her husband and stood by his side, but it didn't last forever.
Fans were not surprised when the "RHOP" star revealed that she and Michael were separating. In an exclusive statement via Bravo's "The Daily Dish," Ashley wrote, "Almost eight years ago, when Michael and I said 'I do,' we anticipated sharing every single day together from that moment forward. Unfortunately, that is not our current reality. We have decided to separate." When Season 7 started, viewers watched as she navigated her newfound life as a single mom. Although it seemed as if she still loved Michael at the time, she has now found love with another Bravolebrity.
Ashley Darby had a romantic visit with Luke Gulbranson
Following her split from Michael Darby, Ashley Darby struck up a flirty friendship with "Summer House" star Luke Gulbranson. The two connected during BravoCon 2022, and Ashley revealed to Page Six, "We've exchanged numbers, so I'm definitely down to see what this is all about. He's someone I definitely see myself having fun with." The two apparently hit it off and have been spotted hanging out together in various locations, per Heavy.
Bravo fans were all for the crossover matchup, and it seems as if things are serious between Ashley and Gulbranson. The "RHOP" star shared a picture of her and the "Summer House" star on Instagram, which fans know is basically the 2022 version of wearing someone's letter jacket. "The definition of a winter wonderland. I didn't know I missed snow so much! Thank you for showing me the beauty of Minnesota!" she captioned the post.
A number of the couple's fellow Bravo stars chimed in by adding their comments. The official Bravo Instagram profile left a very on-brand comment: "LUKE HAS ENTERED THE GRID." Others were equally interested in the meaning of the post. "Ok, so this is your boyfriend?" Robyn Dixon asked. Cynthia Bailey, the former star of "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," wrote, "Y'all are so dang cute." Gulbranson has yet to post his own picture of his new maybe girlfriend, but only time will tell if he decides to make his own announcement.