“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Mia Thornton was happy to see her castmate Ashley Darby break free from the confines of her marriage to Michael Darby.
“Ashley’s in a good space, right? She is just glowing, she’s TikToking, she’s booty-shaking everywhere. I love to see it. I love to see beautiful women, beautiful moms living life, being free,” Thornton, 37, tells Page Six in an exclusive interview.
“She looks free,” the Bravolebrity elaborates, also joking, “Like, she’s been held in captivity and now she’s been let free.”
Ashley, 34 — who shares sons Dean, 3, and Dylan, 19 months, with Michael, 63 — announced her separation from the Australian entrepreneur in April.
Mia Thornton shares her thoughts on Ashley Darby’s split from Michael Darby in an exclusive Page Six interview. Getty Images“People will be quick to assume that the causes were too much intrusion by reality TV into the most personal parts of our lives, age gap issues, cultural problems, or child-rearing differences,” she said in a statement to the “Daily Dish” at the time.
“Pieces of all these may have affected our pure love for each other, but no one reason is the root cause of our mutual decision to go our separate ways.”
Ashley, who wed Michael in 2014, announced their separation in April. NBCU Photo Bank via Getty ImagesOn the forthcoming season of “RHOP,” Ashley expresses an intent to divorce Michael — but also reveals that, at the time of filming, she had yet to retain legal counsel and was in the process of buying a home with him under an LLC.
“I have made it very clear to everyone that I am just starting this process,” she tells her Uncle Lump and mother, Sheila Matthews, in a preview for Sunday night’s premiere. “I don’t have answers right now.”
Some of Ashley’s castmates were particularly concerned by her decision to purchase property with Michael post-split — but not Thornton.
“OK, my viewpoint on this might be [controversial],” she tells Page Six. “I’m a businesswoman, OK? If she was buying this house in their personal names, I say, ‘No, never, never, never.’ But the fact that it’s going in an LLC, I’m like, ‘Yes. Business opportunity, honey!’”
Thornton spoke with Page Six while promoting “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” Season 7. Paul Gilmore/BravoThe Amilleon London CEO — who, alongside her husband, Gordon Thornton, and three kids, recently moved from a Baltimore penthouse a Potomac mansion — just advises Ashley to “buy low, sell high” and “then go buy a house” in her own name.
“That’s what I say!” she says, adding with a laugh, “Michael Darby can buy me a house under the LLC, too, if he wants to.”
The Darbys, who tied the knot in 2014, have experienced plenty of ups and downs over the years — including cheating allegations and sexual assault charges against Michael, who was accused of groping a “RHOP” cameraman’s backside in September 2018.
He was charged with second-degree sexual assault and improper sexual contact, but the charges were later dropped.
“The Real Housewives of Potomac” Season 7 premieres Sunday, Oct. 9, at 8 p.m. ET on Bravo.
