Soccer Star Ashlyn Harris Breaks Silence on Cheating Rumors and Divorce From Ali Krieger
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Ashlyn Harris denies cheating on ex-wife Ali Krieger.
Though Harris filed for divorce from her former teammate on September 19, news of their split didn’t break until mid-October. Because of this, many fans felt whiplash when People reported that Harris was dating One Tree Hill star Sophia Bush just six days later. “After being friends for years, and running in the same social circles, Sophia and Ashlyn went out on their first dinner date a couple of weeks ago,” a source told the publication on October 17. “This is so recent, and they are both beginning new chapters.”
Harris and Krieger wed in 2019 and share two children: two-year-old Sloane and one-year-old Ocean. Following reports of Harris’s new relationship, Krieger posted on Instagram that she was in her “Beyoncé lemonade era,” adding fuel to cheating rumors. At the time, US Women’s National Team player Alex Morgan replied to the post, writing, “These comments do not disappoint 🔥.”
Harris remained silent on the speculation…until now. “Ending a relationship after almost 13 years of friendship, teammate-ship, marriage, and co-parenting (many of them good years) is a decision that was not made lightly,” Harris wrote on Instagram on November 18. “We agreed to center our children, continue therapy, separate, and to move forward with our lives. Two happy families are always better than one unhappy one. This process is never easy, but we were making our way through.”
Though she did not mention her relationship with Bush, Harris denied cheating on her former partner, writing, “Let me be clear: I did not step out on my marriage,” she wrote. “I was always faithful in my marriage, if not always totally happy.”
Though Harris did not want to “feed the beast” by commenting, she said she could no longer ignore the “abuse” and “cruel words” from strangers knowing her children will one day be able to read them. “The online hate that has happened since has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life,” she wrote, later adding, “I have tried to let the fire burn out and what I’ve experienced has devastated my mental health. This has been brutal.”
You can read her full statement here:
In the final slide of her statement, Ashlyn Harris concluded that she is currently focusing on her children. “My priority is being a good co-parent to them with Ali,” she wrote. “Despite this current darkness, there have been years of love between us. And our kids are the best part of it all. They deserve two healthy and happy parents, and that’s what matters most.”
She continued, “We are all in pain. I share all of this to remind people that bullying anyone about a personal decision, especially when that bullying is rooted in lies, really hurts. I’m hoping that instead of continuing this cruelty you can remember the simple truth that I’m a human being, a mom, and a good person just trying my best. I’d appreciate if you could take a breath and treat me and my family with some humanity.”
Harris captioned the post with a simple black heart and disabled the comments section.
Originally Appeared on Glamour
