RHOA: A Look At Eva Marcille's Marriage To Estranged Husband Michael Sterling

Eva Marcille filed for divorce from her husband, Michael Sterling in March 2023. Marcille stated in her filings that their marriage was "irretrievably broken, according to Page Six, This news has absolutely shocked "Real Housewives of Atlanta" fans, as the pair appeared to be one of the franchise's healthiest couples. Marcille hasn't been a main cast member since Season 12, but her romantic arc with Sterling was a highlight of her storyline — contrasting her nasty custody battle with ex Kevin McCall, who fathered her oldest daughter Marley. Marcille's "RHOA" run even documented when Sterling officially had Marley's last name changed. 

When Eva departed the franchise, she cited the opportunity to spend more time with Sterling as one of her reasons for stepping away. "[RHOA] gave me so little time to be with my family, to bond with my new husband [Michael Sterling]," Marcille shared on "The Rickey Smiley Morning Show." At this time, there's been no word on what led Marcille to file or just what broke their marriage, but it appears that Sterling is holding out hope for a reconciliation. "I am not going to lose my wife," Sterling shared with The Jasmine Brand. "I am going to fight for her with every fiber in my being." As we wait to see whether Sterling will be successful in winning Marcille back, let's look back at happier times between the couple.

Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling tied the knot on October 7, 2018, lasting just shy of four and a half years. However, their relationship lasted much longer. One year earlier, Marcille shared with Hello Beautiful that she and Sterling "started dating about three years [ago]." This puts means their start date landed somewhere in 2014. The "America's Next Top Model" alum also shared that she met Sterling through one of her friends. "We all went to this fundraiser where I met this man named Michael T. Sterling and I thought he was very interesting," said Marcille. "I didn't know right away what it was, but there was something about him."

At the time of the interview, Marcille was already pregnant with her first of two children with Sterling (her second of three overall). Their oldest, Mikey Sterling, was born on April 13, 2018 — roughly six months before their luxurious wedding. Like any true "housewife," Marcille's nuptials were captured by Bravo's camera. According to Essence, the white-tie affair cost the reality star $350,000. And while Marcille did face some scrutiny about whether or not she could afford such an upscale wedding (along with a back-stabbing bridesmaid), she obviously doesn't regret her big day. "My wedding was fabulous," shared Marcille during an "RHOA" after-show. "My wedding was a thousand times better than anything I could have ever planned."

Judging purely from their timelines, no one would have thought that Eva Marcille and Michael Sterling were on the brink of divorce. Over the years, the couple has been openly loving and affectionate across their various social media channels — Instagram especially. Even recently, all things seemed to be good within the Sterling household. 

Back in October, Marcille commemorated their fourth wedding anniversary by posting intimate snapshots of their big day. "On this day four years ago my soul found its mate, happy anniversary my love @miketsterling," the model and actress captioned the Instagram video of their wedding. Days later, Marcille also celebrated the start of their honeymoon journey. "@miketsterling On this day four years ago we took the world as Mrs. and Mr. Sterling together. First stop Santorini Greece," wrote Marcille. 

The end of the year saw the mom-of-three wishing Sterling a happy birthday. "Happy birthday to my Heart @miketsterling You're the most amazing Man, father, husband, friend, confidant, life partner, spades partner, Forever partner," posted Marcille to Instagram. "May this be your best year yet. 2022 gave us beatiful beautiful gifts and I trust that 2023 will do the same. I love you." Sterling also appeared to be happy with their union. On Valentine's Day 2023, Sterling posted a sweet portrait of himself and Marcille to Instagram. "My forever Valentine. "I am so in love with you that there isn't anything else." Happy St. Valentine's Day," he wrote.