The Real Housewives of Potomac‘s Ashley Darby is taking a nostalgic look back on her past relationship with Luke Gulbranson.
The Summer House alum’s name came up on The Real Housewives of Potomac After Show while Ashley was explaining to Monique Samuels why she solidified her breakup from Josh Gudenburr during Season 10, Episode 10. One of the reasons Ashley unpacked about how she knew that she and Josh weren’t meant to go the distance involved the fact that they hadn’t taken any trips together, even after a year of dating.
After Monique opined that experiencing the ups and downs of traveling with a romantic partner is “a good way to test longevity” in a relationship, Ashley used Luke as an example of why she both agreed and disagreed with that statement.
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More specifically, she recalled a cross-country road trip she and Luke took from New York to Minnesota in a rental car.
“We had everything you can imagine,” Ashley said. “We had, like, torrential downpours, we had snowstorms … I mean, it was like everything happened during that time. And I was very impressed with the way that he maintained himself.”
As she pointed out, however, “That relationship didn’t last. So, even though that trip really made me think that we had a promise for our future, [there were] other things.”
What went wrong in Ashley Darby’s relationship with Luke Gulbranson
As a quick refresher, Ashley and Luke began dating in the fall of 2022, thanks, in part, to Andy Cohen himself playing matchmaker. Their romance, which began at BravoCon, was short-lived, however, and they broke up in January 2023.
When Ashley appeared on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen shortly after their split, she revealed that the reason for her and Luke’s breakup involved complications brought about by her then-ongoing divorce from Michael Darby.
“My life is very complicated, as you guys can imagine,” she explained on WWHL in January 2023. “I’m going through a very difficult situation. And Luke was a trouper — believe me, he went through some things.”
RELATED: Ashley Darby Reveals How Her & Michael Darby’s Coparenting Relationship Has Changed (EXCLUSIVE)
When Andy asked if Michael’s “not being thrilled about the relationship” factored into her and Luke’s split, the mom of two responded, “That, and I mean it’s not really about Luke. We just have a hard time period with co-parenting and separating.”
Despite her attempts to remain friends with Luke post-breakup, Ashley revealed in an exclusive November 2024 interview with The Daily Dish that she was no longer on good terms with the hockey coach turned real estate agent.
“I do not talk to Luke,” she shared, at the time. “Some things have transpired that we just… initially, we were sort of leaving it as friends, but we are no longer friends.”
What Ashley Darby is looking for in a relationship today
Elsewhere on the RHOP After Show for Episode 10, Ashley revealed how her failed relationship with Josh had helped her see some of the things she’s looking for in a romantic partner now.
One of Ashley’s issues with Josh was that they were not “financially on the same path or plane,” as she put it. And because Josh “wants to have kids,” she quipped to Monique that he would “need a couple more commas in that bank account,” to make that a reality with her.
That’s partly why, Ashley added, that she has typically dated “older” men “who are established.”
“I think that, as women, we like to be taught. Like, I love when a man teaches me,” she continued, citing a recent date during which a guy taught her how to play baccarat. “That is what I was missing with Josh. I like being led.”
As she navigates the dating field, find out why Ashley changed her stance on having more children.
