Before Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman filed for divorce, the exes’ mounting tension was caught on camera during the latest season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta.
During Sunday’s episode, Drew and the other women gathered for a day-long mental health retreat, to which Ralph arrived late. But Drew — and others around her — were quick to notice how Ralph appeared to be purposefully ignoring his wife after she gave Sanya Richards-Ross’s husband a hug first.
“Oh, yeah, my husband is here,” said Drew, 38, as she looked toward Ralph, 40, who looked past her to instead greet everyone else in the room. Ralph even ignored Drew as she called out to him, “Hey, husband.”
Drew then noted how she was “waiting for a hug” from Ralph since she hadn’t “seen him” all day.
“Is Ralph having some kind of mental breakdown, because does he not see his wife there?” Kenya Moore said in confessional as Shereé Whitfield also told the cameras that “Ralph literally went around the room and hugged everyone except for her.”
Drew Sidora on Her ‘Breaking Point’ with Ex Ralph and Holding Out Hope for an ‘Amicable Divorce’ (Exclusive)
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Drew explained this kind of behavior was not unusual for Ralph.
“After date night, Ralph has been distant. But him showing [up] late and then him acknowledging everyone else but me, it’s embarrassing,” she said in a confessional.
“This is typical Ralph,” she continued. “When he feels disrespected, instead of speaking his mind and saying how he feels, he is being so cold.”
Drew eventually got Ralph’s attention by going up to him to give him a hug and a kiss.
Ralph Pittman Apologizes for His ‘Part’ in Drew Sidora Split, Is ‘Optimistic for Brighter Days Ahead’ (Exclusive)
Later in the episode, Drew had an at-home therapy session with her marriage counselor Dr. Ken. Before that, she revealed in a confessional how “things have been going downhill” for the couple since their date night.
“We’re not really talking. He moved out of the bedroom. Our marriage is in a perpetual cycle,” she continued. “Sometimes it’s up, sometimes it’s down. We try to go out and have a good time, but then things go left.”
The actress added, “Ralph and I have been married for eight years. And in hindsight, we have been dealing with issues of transparency, of faithfulness, of respect. That is all becoming challenging for me.”
In speaking to her therapist, whom she’d been seeing for 13 or 14 months, Drew said things “spiraled into a disagreement” after her and Ralph’s date night. “I feel like I am able to stand stronger in what I know is right for me. I’m willing to draw a line of boundaries,” she explained.
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Reflecting her words back to her, Dr. Ken said Drew was expressing her boundary that “nobody can gaslight” her anymore. Then he asked, “Where does that really leave your marriage, though?”
“It’s, like, questionable. Disconnected,” she said, tearing up. “It’s like the emotional awareness is still lacking, which is all I’ve ever asked for. Like, I just want you to care about my heart, I want you to care about how I feel, I want you to care about the things that are important to me.”
Drew noted that she “didn’t get married get to get divorced, so I’m always willing to try. But it’s just like, at what point are things going to turn around? At what point does someone want to fight for the marriage? Like, I’m still in counseling, but he’s not.”
Although Drew expressed “hope” for things to “turn around,” she said with resignation: “Without him showing up and making effort, it’s impossible. I’m definitely worried about the state of our relationship.”
‘RHOA’ Star Drew Sidora Admits She ‘Can’t Even Get out of the Bed’ Some Days amid Divorce (Exclusive)
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Bravo
PEOPLE confirmed in March that Drew had filed for divorce from Ralph. At the time, the reality star told PEOPLE that she had been “wholeheartedly fighting for my marriage” but had to make “the agonizing decision to release my husband with love.”
“Although Ralph and I have decided to move forward separately, the hope is to remain friends so that we can co-parent responsibly,” she continued. “In spite of our very public life, I am asking for privacy during this difficult time as my children and I learn how to navigate through our new beginnings.”
Addressing their separation in a statement of his own, Ralph told PEOPLE: “Drew and I have decided to file for divorce. We have three amazing young children, and their mindset and growth is what is most important. As we navigate this difficult time, I ask that you please respect our privacy.”
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The unraveling of their marriage has played out on the current season of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, which airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education