Copyright Parade
Real Housewives of Potomac‘s Ashley Darby is a few months shy of one year post-divorce from her ex-husband Michael Darby, and is ready for her so-called “second bloom.” She even had the party to prove it. But just because she’s partying now doesn’t mean the divorce process was always easy. “We actually had to go to the courthouse together, my ex-husband and I, and we had to sit next to each other. And the divorce decree was issued by the judge, and it was like a bit of a surreal moment where I was like, wow, we’re actually leaving this courthouse as divorced people, the two of us,” Darby told Parade. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade’s Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Now that things are a bit less sad, Darby jokingly refers to her dating life as one of her “favorite topics of conversation.” On Season 9, Episode 10 of RHOP, Darby met a guy named Josh Gudenburr during a speed dating event. “We’re hanging out,” she told Andy Cohen on a January 2025 episode of Watch What Happens Live. “He may have set me off this morning with a [big smile]. Yeah, he’s a good guy.” Cohen clarified whether the couple was monogamous. “Yes, actually, but we don’t have labels at the moment,” she said. “We are only banging each other.” Related: Ashley Darby Speaks Out on Mia Thornton’s ‘RHOP’ Exit: ‘This is Not an Easy Process’ (Exclusive) Parade sat down with Darby in October 2025 to see whether Gudenburr was still in the picture. “Josh and I had a bit of a turbulent time. That happens over the course of the season,” the former Miss District of Columbia explained. Darby then hesitated, joking she was stuttering over her words. “Josh and I are really good friends,” she nodded. “We’ll put it like that, okay? We’re friends.” She gave a bit of a sly look, laughed and continued on, “Do you know something? What do you know? What have you seen? Who have you talked to?” While it’s unclear whether Josh Gudenburr is still in the picture, the mom of two is clear that she wants to keep dating. “I’m actively taking applications. In February, it’ll be a year that I’ve been divorced, and I think that’s enough time for me to actually start looking for a real, permanent life partner,” she said. “Like, I’ve just been having a little bit of fun, you know, out in the streets, but now I think it’s time to settle down.” Meeting men who qualify for the job is a bit of an issue. In today’s dating app-obsessed culture, Darby doesn’t think she should be on the apps. “I feel like I can’t do the dating apps, but honestly, I feel like it’s a disservice to me.” “It would be so fun to just sit down with a nice Corona Light and sit and swipe left and right. I would have the time of my life doing that,” she continued. “And I can’t because of what I do for a living, being a public figure.” Related: Gizelle Bryant Shades Last Year’s ‘RHOP’ Season and Calls Fellow Castmate a ‘Gnat’ (Exclusive) Instead the 37-year-old is meeting potential suitors the old-fashioned way, through friends and at bars. “DC has some very nice bars,” she noted. “I’m trying to get into the New York scene a little bit, too.” While Ashley Darby continues her search for Mr. Right, marriage is on her mind. “I mean, I see your beautiful ring and I’m like, yes, yes, yes. This is what I’m manifesting for 2026,” she said. As for Gudenburr, Darby hasn’t totally written him off just yet. “Josh is a great guy, and I would definitely want a guy with Josh’s quality, some of his qualities. But I don’t know. I’m actively taking applications,” she joked. “In February, it’ll be a year that I’ve been divorced, and I think that’s enough time for me to actually start looking for a real, permanent life partner.” New episodes of The Real Housewives of Potomac air Sundays at 8/7c and stream next day on Peacock.
