Ashlyn Harris has broken her silence on her split from fellow American football star Ali Krieger, insisting she did not cheat on her ex-wife.
Harris and Krieger’s split was announced in October, with Harris now believed to be dating actress Sophia Bush. The two reportedly attended Mariah Carey’s Christmas concert together in Los Angeles on Friday evening. according to JustJared.
There was speculation that Harris cheated on Krieger with Bush. Krieger herself seemed to suggest as much with an Instagram post in which she said she was in her “Beyoncé lemonade era” — the one that calls out her husband Jay-Z being unfaithful.
Now, Harris says in a lengthy Instagram statement: “Ending a relationship after nearly thirteen years of friendship, teamship, marriage and co-parenting (many of which were good years) is a decision not made lightly.
“We agreed to place our children in the center, continue therapy, separate and move on with our lives. Two happy families are always better than one unhappy family. This process is never easy, but we got through it.
“We intended to keep this information private… a leak made that impossible. The online hate that has occurred since then has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life. I know that in the world of online gossip, best practice is not to feed the beast. For weeks I’ve tried to follow this advice… and what I’ve experienced has been devastating to my mental health.
‘Words are important. The shouting about abuse, the people shouting to encourage me to commit suicide and the cruel words spoken about my children and who I am as a mother? Those words are important.
‘People walk with a story that is unbearably painful. Not all marriages last forever. Not ours. For many reasons. And while I understand that the false narrative about why might seem juicier or more prevalent, they are simply not true.
“Let me be clear: I have not given up on my marriage. I was always faithful in my marriage, even though I was not always completely happy. As in many partnerships, there was work and therapy and processing done. None of this happened on a whim.
“Despite this current darkness, there have been years of love between us. And our children are the best of all. They deserve two healthy and happy parents, and that is the most important thing. We are all in pain.
“I share all of this to remind people that bullying someone about a personal decision, especially if that bullying is based on lies, really hurts.
“I hope that instead of perpetuating this cruelty, you can remember the simple truth that I am a human being, a mother and a good person just doing my best. I would appreciate it if you could take a breath and treat me and my family with some humanity.”
Harris and Krieger adopted two children together – a boy and a girl – and married on December 28, 2019 in Miami, nine months after revealing their engagement.
They met in 2010 at the USWNT training camp. Harris has made 25 appearances for the US as a goalkeeper, while Krieger, a defender, has played 108 times at international level for her country, winning two World Cups each in 2015 and 2019.
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