Ashley Darby On How She Coped With Husband's Assault Accusations

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Last year, ‘Real Housewives Of Potomac’ star Ashley Darby was on the verge of a breakdown, after her husband, Michael was accused of felony assault and misdemeanor improper sexual conduct.

The case was dismissed in October due to insufficient evidence, but now the new mom is opening up about how she coped during those trying days.

“I knew if I got sad and I broke down, Michael would feel bad or guilty, so I wanted to be strong for him. So when I saw everybody, I put on my smiling face,’ Ashley said on a recent episode of “RHOP.”

“I don’t want people to see me wallowing and see me sad or crying and think that I’m weak or don’t believe in my husband,” she said.

Continuing, “It’s not a big deal. I know the truth about Michael, and that’s that.”

She later spoke to her therapist about how the scandal affected her emotionally.

“When I got the news, I just froze,” explained. “It was not real that something like this was happening to my husband and I. My heart was racing, I was getting light headed. Like, this just can’t be my reality.”

The controversy ended up being a deep trigger for Darby, who views her husband not only as a lover but a father figure.

“Subconsciously and deep down I knew one of the things that draws me to Michael is that he’s nurturing and authoritative in a way that I would imagine a father would be. But I didn’t realize the hurt I experienced with my dad has also spilled over into my marriage,” Ashley said. “That part of me is still so raw.”

The therapist told Darby that it’s important to distinguish her father from Darby.

“Michael’s not your dad, he’s your husband,” she explained.

“So the part of you that’s like, ‘I have to hold certain things back because I need to protect him,’ that’s that childlike part of you who’s trying to figure out, ‘I need to make my dad stay.’ “