Ashlyn Harris Responds to ‘Unbearably Painful’ Cyberbullying Over Ali Krieger Split: ‘This Has Been Brutal’

Ashlyn Harris is speaking out against the online hate she received after her split from ex-wife Ali Krieger.

The USWNT player, 38, posted a lengthy statement on Instagram on Saturday, discussing the “excruciatingly painful” abuse she faced over her divorce from Krieger, 39.

“A few weeks ago, a process that had been private for a while became public,” Harris began. “Breaking up after almost 13 years of friendship, co-playing, marriage and co-parenting (many of them good years) is a decision not taken lightly.”

“We agreed to sort out our children, continue with therapy, separate and move on with our lives. Two happy families are always better than one unhappy one. This process is never easy, but we made it through,” she continued.

Harris received “painful” online hate following his split from ex-wife Ali Kreiger.

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Noting then that she and Krieger — who retired from professional soccer this month — had originally planned to go public with their divorce after her final game, Harris said the “leak” made that “impossible” for the couple.

“The online hate that has occurred since then has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life,” Harris wrote. “I now know that the best practice in the world of internet gossip is ‘don’t feed the beast. Don’t answer. Don’t let them see you sweating.’ Just hide until the tabloids and internet trolls decide to enjoy someone else. I tried to follow this advice for weeks. I tried to let the fire burn and what I experienced destroyed my mental health. This was brutal.”

“Words are important. Cheering for abuse, people clamoring to encourage me to commit suicide, and cruel words spoken about my children, and who am I as a mother? Those words are important. One day my children will be able to read hate written by strangers on the internet, all because those strangers had an unsolicited opinion about my health and happiness? What are we doing here?” she continued.

Harris then addressed the rumors surrounding her split from Krieger, writing, “People have started a story that is unbearably painful. Not all marriages last forever. Ours are not. For many reasons.”

Harris filed for divorce from Kreiger on September 19.

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“Let me be clear: I did not shy away from my marriage. I have always been faithful in my marriage, if not always completely happy. As in many partnerships, there was therapy and processing. None of this happened on a whim. We spent the entire summer working through the separation and divorce steps outlined for us by our therapists, attorneys and our mutual agency,” Harris said.

She added that she “ultimately chooses her own health and happiness” for the sake of “a better future for her children.”

“What made this complex and difficult experience more difficult than I could have imagined was the fact that the entire community turned against me while I was going through this,” Harris continued. “I’ve spent my entire career trying to build an inclusive space where people can be themselves and know they’ll be safe.”

Harris is now in a relationship with actress Sophia Bush.

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“Right now I feel like the whole community poured gasoline on me and lit matches,” the mother of two wrote. “Many of you, including people who publicly advocate for anti-abuse, have cheered this as a blood sport. It’s like a family in transition on opposing teams. Like divorce is a battle, one person can win.”

“I want to be clear that pushing someone to the edge? That’s not a victory. No one ‘wins’ here,” she added, before going on to say that her “priority, as always, is my children” and being a “good co-parent to them with Ali.”

Harris ended her statement by acknowledging the love she and Krieger shared, asking for some humanity as she and her family go through a painful time.

“Despite this current darkness, there were years of love between us. And the children are the best part of it all. They deserve two healthy and happy parents, and that is the most important thing,” she wrote. “We are all in pain. I’m sharing all of this to remind people that bullying anyone because of a personal decision, especially when that bullying is rooted in lies, really hurts.”

“I hope that instead of the constant cruelty, you can remember the simple truth that I’m a human being, a mom, and a good person who’s just doing my best,” Harris concluded. “I would appreciate it if you could take a breath and treat me and my family with some humanity.”

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Harris filed for divorce from Krieger after four years of marriage on September 19. He is currently in a relationship with Sophia Bush after the actress split from husband Grant Hughes, PEOPLE confirmed in October. Harris and Krieger have two children, a two-year-old daughter, Sloane, and a one-year-old son, Ocean.

Harris and Krieger first met in 2010 while playing for the United States national team. They announced their engagement to PEOPLE in 2019 and tied the knot that same year in Florida.

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