Ashley Darby has charmed fans with her bubbly and creative personality for nine seasons on “The Real Housewives of Potomac,” but she’s unlocked a new part of her TV persona — and herself — on “Bravo’s Love Hotel.”
The 36-year-old stars alongside “Potomac” pal Gizelle Bryant, 54, and Bravo fan favorites Shannon Storms Beador (“The Real Housewives of Orange County”), 61, and Countess Luann de Lesseps (“The Real Housewives of New York City”), 59, in the first season of the reality dating series.
The women from the different “Housewives” backgrounds came together and formed “a sisterhood” during the experience, Ashley tells TODAY.com in a recent interview.
The show filmed in the Grand Velas hotel in Los Cabos, Mexico, where the ladies stayed as they met a revolving door of potential male suitors.
“I will have you know Luann was a hot commodity,” Ashley says. “Let me tell you, the guys love some Luann.”
Ashley, like Luann, is a singer, and both women have showcased their talents numerous times on Bravo over the years. They even “sang at the ‘Love Hotel’ together,” Ashley says.
“I was elated to know that I’d be spending time with the countess, you know, having grown up and watched her for so long,” she says about Luann, whose cabaret dreams began on “RHONY” and have since blossomed into a successful international tour.
“I just knew I’d love Luann,” Ashley says.
Unfortunately for fans, the singing likely was not captured on film, according to Ashley, who explains there was an earthquake and later a hurricane during filming in Mexico. She says the ceiling of her hotel room even caved in. But the ladies persevered despite “so much water” being everywhere and “hit the town.”
“We would just have little jam sessions,” Ashley says about her and Luann. “With dancing, of course.”
“It was a good time,” Ashley recalls. “She’s just — I learned so much from Luann. I really did.”
One thing Ashley says she “definitely” learned about herself during this process after being around Luann and the other “Housewives” is “how to be more vulnerable.”
“I’m used to showing one side of myself on ‘Housewives of Potomac,’ and typically — like, yes, that show’s a glimpse into my personal life, but it touches on it, like, a little relationship thing here,” she says. “But also, what is your family like and your business life and your friendships, right? So, this was very different, and I was able to just focus on my romantic side.”
That focus was something Ashley says she was “a little nervous” for.
“I didn’t know what was going to come out of it,” she says. “But I realized and I learned that I can be more vulnerable than I give myself credit for.”
Ashley isn’t shy, however, when it comes to her interest in “men of different decades.”
She was previously married to Michael Darby, who is in his 60s, and their relationship played out over the years on “RHOP.” The two finalized their divorce in February, People reported, after she confirmed their separation in 2022 to Bravo’s “The Daily Dish.” They share two sons: Dean, 5, and Dylan, 4.
On the May 11 episode of “Bravo’s Love Hotel,” Ashley said she was trying to date more “age-appropriate” men after spending time getting to know the younger guys. However, she surprised them when she expressed interest in Ralph, who is in his early 60s, and said he had been on her radar “since Day 1.”
One of the other men she got close to, and even shared a kiss with, Wale, who is in his late 30s, was surprised by Ashley’s admission about Ralph.
“I can’t process that correctly,” he said to the men.
In a confessional, Wale added, “I’ve never, in my life, talked to a woman who can also talk to someone in their 60s. I’ve just never seen it.”
“I’m unique, and I know that about myself, and it’s part of the reason why I’ve always felt more mentally mature than men my age,” Ashley tells TODAY.com when asked about Wale’s comments. “And Wale’s similar to my age, so that’s to be expected, but I think as Wale gets to know me, I think he can understand — hopefully he can understand — why I’m more attracted to older men. Because I do express it to him.
“And whether he’s able to hear me and listen to me is one thing, but I do tell him why. I like the stability, I like the self-assuredness, I like the confidence that comes with a man who’s seasoned and lived a little.”
As for her remark on the show about dating men around her age, Ashley sighs and says, “It’s still a work in progress.”
“I would say that just men of different decades, whether it’s 20s, 30s or 40s — 50s or 60s, I would even say — they all just sort of present their own challenges,” she explains. “So I’m trying to navigate all of it.”
While she says her “dating history has really run the gamut in terms of age,” she did not feel any pressure when it came to being the youngest woman in the house — and on the minds of the younger gentlemen.
“I like older guys, and it’s three years, but in this singledom, I’ve dated guys in their early 20s,” she says. “It’s even weird for me to say.” Her focus was actually more on vibing “with the girls.”
“I knew that they were all a similar age, and I didn’t want to be just the odd woman out, potentially,” she says. “I mean, I knew Gizelle was my good friend but still, I didn’t know how the dynamics would work with our age differences. It turns out I had nothing to worry about.”
Ashley says she had only previously met Shannon in passing.
“I was a little nervous because I didn’t know how our personalities would mesh,” she says.
In the most recent episode, Ashley and Shannon shared a sweet moment together.
Shannon realized that day of filming marked one year since her DUI. She shared that information with Earl, the man in the “Love Hotel” she had been talking to, and got visibly emotional during her chat with Ashley because Earl didn’t acknowledge it and how far Shannon has come since that dark day.
At 11:59 p.m., Ashley asked Shannon how she wanted to commemorate the moment.
Shannon said she wanted to take a selfie because a year prior she took a bloodied photo of herself after the accident that she “didn’t remember” taking.
“And here I am: a better and stronger person as a result of everything that’s happened,” Shannon said in a confessional.
After watching Shannon snap the selfie, Ashley suggested she let her take one with flash in better light.
Ashley told Shannon she was very proud of her, especially since she’s experienced struggles of her own in the public eye.
“I knew that we had all very strong personalities,” she explains to TODAY.com. “And I was like, ‘Are we going to clash? Are we going to fight over men? Like, are we going to be scrapping over here?’
“But I was very pleasantly surprised that we developed this real sort of sorority and sisterhood while we were there.”
