Ashley Darby Says She’s ‘Having Fun’ in New Romance and ‘Slowing Wading Through’ Divorce (Exclusive)

Ashley Darby has a new man in her life, although she’s not ready to define a relationship just yet.

The Real Housewives of Potomac star attended DIRECTV’s ‘Streaming with the Stars’ Oscar viewing party at Spag in Beverly Hills, California on Sunday and opened up to PEOPLE about the status of her love life amid her split from estranged husband Michael Darby.

“I have a friend,” said the mother of two, and she did not call her new wife her boyfriend. – We have only been talking for about four months.

Ashley and Michael — who share sons Dean, 4, and Dylan, 3 — were married for eight years before she announced they were separating in April 2022, although they have yet to file for divorce.

This obviously makes her new romance a bit more complicated. “I’m still learning what dating means in this world,” she admitted. “There’s a lot of terminology I’m trying to figure out. But we’re having fun.”

Ashley Darby says she can’t get alimony in divorce from Michael Darby: ‘It didn’t work out in my favor’

Ashley Darby attends the DIRECTV ‘Streaming with the Stars’ event at Spago on March 10, 2024 in Beverly Hills, California.

Amanda Edwards/Getty

She and her “friend”, whom she did not name, have known each other for a long time. They actually met 15 years ago, long before Ashley even met Michael.

“I was at a Friendsgiving party and the party was ending and he walked in the door and I was like, ‘Holy…’ — one of those moments,” she said. “Well, yes, he asked me out. We went out to dinner the next day.”

At 49, this new man is closer in age to Ashley, 35, than 64-year-old Michael was.

He is about nine years older than her last love: Summer house alum Luke Gulbranson, whom she confirmed she split from in January after less than three months of dating.

RHOP’s Ashley Darby admits she was the ‘last straw’ that ended her relationship with Luke Gulbranson

Ashley Darby and Michael Darby pose backstage at ‘Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen’ in July 2018. Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

As Ashley and her new beau develop their relationship, the “Coffee & Love” singer is balancing it by co-parenting with Michael — which has become a hot topic on RHOP this season.

Her Bravo co-stars also baffled Ashley as to why she and Michael haven’t pulled the trigger on their divorce yet. And while Ashley still isn’t ready to formally legally end her marriage, she tells PEOPLE she’s getting there.

“We’re slowly making our way through,” Ashley said at Sunday’s event hosted by Rob Lowe. – We are not in the mud, there are some developments.

She continued, “I don’t feel that much pressure, but what my uncle told me the other day is, emotionally, I’ll never be free if I don’t do this. And maybe that’s true. So I’ll come myself.”

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The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 8:00 PM ET on Bravo.

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Source: HIS Education