RHOP : Ashley Darby's Husband Says He Did Something He 'Regrets' as Photos of Him in Hotel Room Surface
RHOP: Ashley Darby's Husband Says He Did Something He 'Regrets' as Photos of Him in Hotel Room Surface
"He told me he was at a strip club and this one woman kept touching him," Ashley Darby said of her husband Michael Darby
Michael Darby is coming clean.
On Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac, Ashley Darby revealed that she and her husband had a conversation about him being spotted out at a strip club while she was on a cast trip — with their baby son Dean — at Monique Samuels' lake house.
As viewers recall, Ashley, 32, was made aware of Michael's behavior by Candiace Dillard, who received a text from a friend that included a photo of what appeared to be Michael at the strip club.
"When I got home from Monique's lake house, Michael and I talked about the issue that Candiace brought up, and he told me he was at the strip club and this woman kept touching him," Ashley shared on Sunday's episode.
The mom of one explained that her husband didn't go into further detail about his transgressions but admitted to doing something "he regrets."
"[He] feels bad," Ashley said of her husband Michael, adding that the argument escalated between them, resulting in the couple sleeping in separate bedrooms.
"Michael slept in the baby's room and I slept in the bedroom," she shared.
Michael and Ashley Darby
RELATED: RHOP: Ashley Darby Confronts Husband Michael About Alleged Strip Club Sighting
Ashley gave birth to the couple's first child together, a baby boy named Dean, in July 2019. Their marriage has been the center of drama on the series, as Michael was previously accused of making a sexual comment about another man and was accused of sexual assault. He has denied both allegations, and the charges of felony assault and misdemeanor improper sexual conduct were dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
The current situation then took a drastic turn when Gizelle Bryant called Candiace, 33, to share that she has been sent photos of what appears to be Michael "in his boxers" in a hotel room. (Gizelle had been privy to Michael's behavior as Candiace brought the report to her before sharing it with Ashley during last week's episode.)
"I'm minding my business and I had at least 40 DMs about Michael," Gizelle, 50, told Candiace over the phone. "This is the worst!"
Ashley Darby/Instagram Ashley Darby and family
"Ugh!" Candiace said back. "There's photographic evidence of Michael at a hotel, Michael at the strip club and Michael at MGM."
"Michael, everybody in the D.C. area knows who you are and everybody got a camera. You gonna get busted, honey," Gizelle said in a confessional interview.
The other Housewives also reacted to the hotel photo, with Karen Huger, who has been candid about her own marital problems this season, saying in her own confessional interview: "Michael doing something, but it don't look like it's Ashley."
"In the big scheme of it all, the only person that matters right now is baby Dean," Monique, 36, said of Ashley and Michael's baby son.
"Keep your d--- in your pants and go home to your wife," Robyn Dixon later said.
The new development came after Gizelle and Candiace had sat Ashley down earlier in the episode to reveal what has been said about Michael.
Sophy Holland/Bravo The Real Housewives of Potomac
"As far as I know, everything is well... that's why I'm shocked," Ashley said of the claim about Michael being at the strip club.
Ashley, however, also admitted that it wasn't the first time that Michael had visited a strip club.
"One time, he did come home, smelling like perfume," Ashley told Gizelle and Candiace. "I was upset and he was like, 'I'm sorry I was at the strip club.' I was pregnant and I was very sensitive. [I said] 'Please don't do that again' and he stopped going to strip clubs."
"This doesn't feel like a shock to her," Candiace said in a confessional interview.
It appears as though the drama surrounding Ashley's marriage will continue this season.
In a teaser for next week's episode, Ashley tells the women: "Michael and I have been in situations where we have been with other people."
Also still to come, Monique and Candiace's issues come to a head as they appear to get in a physical fight that ends with screams and broken glass.
The women got into an argument on Sunday's episode after Monique felt disrespected by Candiace for pulling just Gizelle and Ashley away for a chat while at her lake house.
RELATED: RHOP's Robyn Dixon Says Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels 'Are Beyond the Point of No Return'
RHOP's Robyn Dixon Says Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels 'Are Beyond the Point of No Return'
Robyn hopes for reconciliation in the future but reveals the longer the cast waited for "the show to air, the longer the tension built up"
Candiace apologized, but explained she wanted to talk in private due to the chat being about Ashley's husband and his behavior. "It was none of everyone's business," Candiace told Monique, who quipped back: "It's about being considerate."
Robyn came to Candiace's defense, sharing: "I think [Gizelle] and [Candiace] were very hurt for Ashley."
But, Monique wasn't buying it saying: "Yeah, whatever."
Monique previously expressed that she felt Candiace was not being genuine by bringing the issues to Ashley.
Gary Gershoff/Getty Images; Dominik Bindl/FilmMagic Monique Samuels, Candiace Dillard
Candiace ended up walking away from the conversation and admitting: "I'm done with Monique."
"I think it bothered her because Candiace was involved and there are underlying issues between them that have yet to be resolved," new Housewife Dr. Wendy Osefo told Robyn after both Candiace and Monique left the conversation.
As fans know, Monique and Candiace are at odds with each other due to Candiace being friends with former Housewife Charrisse Jackson Jordan. Monique believes Charrisse has been spreading a rumor that Monique has been having an inappropriate relationship with her fitness trainer. (Charisse has denied spread the rumor and Monique denied having the affair.)
The Real Housewives of Potomac airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on Bravo.
