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When The Actual Housewives of Potomac first launched Ashley Darby and Gizelle Bryant, nobody would’ve predicted the transformation their relationship would bear. From early clashes — together with Gizelle’s blunt critique of Ashley’s then-husband — to bonding over enterprise ventures and Bravo antics, the pair has come a great distance.
Their most up-to-date endeavor, a stint at Bravo’s Love Lodge, took their friendship to stunning new heights. “I’ll say that even my relationship with Gizelle modified fairly a bit,” Ashley informed The Every day Dish. “We really acquired to spend three strong weeks collectively, with out our kids, with out anyone else actually interfering. So, our relationship grew exponentially.”
The 2 RHOP stars have shared loads of display screen time through the years — from becoming a member of forces with Robyn Dixon for a playful pizza prank on Karen Huger, to diving right into a joint enterprise challenge. However Love Lodge supplied one thing distinctive: uninterrupted time to attach with out the standard chaos of cameras, children, or co-stars.
Ashley Darby mirrored on the expertise with gratitude. “Yeah, we discuss. We discuss like for a pair minutes, right here and there,” she defined. “However really spending that a lot time collectively… it actually made a distinction.”
They weren’t alone. The challenge additionally featured Actual Housewives alumni Luann de Lesseps and Shannon Storms Beador, making a crossover that gave Ashley a brand new appreciation for her fellow Bravolebrities. “These girls, they’re entertaining they usually’re humorous they usually’re witty they usually’re sensible they usually’re charismatic,” she stated. “Now, like, I acquired to truly expertise it for nearly a month.”
What shocked Ashley most wasn’t simply the camaraderie — it was how a lot all of them had in frequent. “Not solely had been all of us on the lookout for love, however even in the best way that we strategy life… all these little similarities began to kind of blossom,” she shared. “So, they’re my house ladies.”
In fact, followers of RHOP know that Ashley and Gizelle didn’t all the time see eye to eye. Their relationship had a rocky begin, significantly throughout Season 1. Ashley was particularly essential of Gizelle’s remarks about her then-husband Michael Darby, writing in a 2016 Bravo weblog: “Watching Gizelle speak about my soul mate like he was a trick at a peep present was nauseating.”
However time — and some seasons — helped clean issues over. By 2018, Gizelle defined their evolving dynamic on Watch What Occurs Stay with Andy Cohen, merely saying, “I identical to her as an individual. She’s plenty of enjoyable. She’s sensible. I like a wise girl.”
Now, with their friendship stronger than ever, Ashley and Gizelle show that even essentially the most sudden bonds can flourish — particularly when given time, area, and perhaps a Bravo-funded retreat.
