'RHOP' Mia Thornton Is Celebrating Her First Thanksgiving Without Ex-Husband In 12 Years

Mia Thornton is spending this Thanksgiving without her estranged ex-husband, Gordon Thornton, for the first time in over a decade. 

The "Real Housewives Of Potomac" star, who separated from Gordon in June 2023, only publicly confirmed their split in September.

The couple officially ended their 11-year marriage after Mia Thornton decided to call it quits following Gordon Thornton's harsh comments about her. 

Mia is preparing for a different kind of Thanksgiving this year as she celebrates her first holiday season, separated from Gordon. The TV personality shared that this year will be the first time she and Gordon will not combine their family celebrations. 

She explained that last year, amid their separation, she wanted to make the transition easier for their children by keeping things somewhat normal. In her words:

"We did combine last year because we were going through a separation and I felt like I wanted the kids to have the ease of transitioning."

But now, as the former couple navigate their new reality, Mia says the decision to split their holiday celebrations will help the kids understand that their parents are no longer together. "I think that's going to be a really good eye-opener for our children as well," Mia explained to PEOPLE.

The 40-year-old had previously confirmed the new holiday arrangements, revealing that she will have Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, while Gordon will have Christmas Day and New Year's.

Mia's decision to separate her holiday celebrations from her ex-husband mirrors the decision she made last year to officially end their 11-year marriage.

As The Blast reported, Mia shared that Gordon's harsh public comments last October were the final straw, prompting her to file for divorce. The mother-of-three revealed that the verbal shaming from Gordon pushed her to take control of her life. 

"I And I said, 'OK, this is not what we're doing.' And I filed. Yeah, I did because I'm like, 'Let's go ahead and get this clock rolling.' I just don't want to be a part of it,'" Mia noted.

However, Mia confessed that she would "never publicly shame" Gordon for their children's sake no matter how hurt she felt.

The moment in question occurred during an interview, where Gordon accused Mia of marrying him for his wealth and resources. He claimed that when those benefits were gone, that was when she decided to leave him for better opportunities.

The businessman did not stop there. He also alleged that he had given Mia a "hall pass" for extramarital affairs, admitting that he allowed her to sleep with other men due to his inability to satisfy her needs. 

Gordon expressed disappointment that Mia had allegedly lied about her affairs, choosing to sneak around rather than be open with him.

Although she may be looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving on her own this year, it has not been without challenges. One of the hardest things she has had to face has been revisiting a painful chapter from her past.

While attending an event for rape victims at Karen Huger's luncheon for Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE), Mia experienced a meltdown as a sexual assault survivor.

The Blast reported that the event triggered painful memories for the star, and she rushed to the bathroom in tears, with co-star Ashley Darby offering support. 

For the first time, Mia shared her own story of sexual assault, recalling the traumatic experience from her younger years. She explained that the situation turned horrific when a trusted friend left her alone with the perpetrator. Reflecting on the painful memory, Mia tearfully questioned:

"It's my coping mechanism to get the f— out when s—t's uncomfortable and, unfortunately, that day, I couldn't get out. It's just, like, 'Why didn't you just leave? Why did you put yourself in that situation?'"

In the process of opening up, Mia also revealed the friend involved was Jacqueline Blake, partially blaming her for the incident. However, Mia also acknowledged that her anger towards her friend was misplaced, noting:

"She didn't know that was going to happen to me. She trusted her boyfriend."

During her confessional, Mia admitted that the betrayal left her feeling conflicted for years. "I think over the years I've wanted to forgive her … when I look back, I probably have always been a little meaner to her because of it," she explained.

Despite her lingering hurt, Mia recognized that her anger had been an emotional reaction. After recalling the painful memory, she received a hug from Darby, who stated, "We're going to be OK."

Mia Thornton's candid discussion about her family's transition into this new phase shows her commitment to co-parenting as she moves forward from her split.