RHOP’s Ashley Darby Reveals Surprising Reason For Admitting To Hooking Up With Co-Star’s Son

“Real Housewives of Potomac” star Ashley Darby shocked fans of the show when she admitted to having a romantic encounter with the son of co-star Charrisse Jackson-Jordan. Since then, both Jordan and her son, Jordan Jackson, have spoken out about the “RHOP” star, and she has also shed light on the situation, including admitting that it occurred more than once. Now, Darby is sharing her reasoning for admitting to the encounter on the show. 

Darby appeared on the "What's the Reality" podcast in February 2026, and the host asked why she chose to discuss the hookup with Jordan's son. She stated in the clip, "It's been just kind of sitting on me for a while. It's been sitting on me for two years now."

From there, she revealed that she brought it up because she wanted Jordan to return to the show as a main cast member, stating that she believed there would have been a more explosive reaction. According to Darby, "You know, I wanted Charrisse back on the show. I have. I almost told her umteen times, and I was gonna take it to my grave."

She continued, "I was like, 'Hey girl, this could be your chance. Get you back on the show. In the scene, I thought she was gonna like throw champagne in my face, flip the table, do a whole thing, nothing of the sort."

Regarding Jordan's time on the show, she appeared as a full-time cast member for its first two seasons. She then appeared as a friend of the show for seasons three, seven, and eight. She has since made appearances in various seasons, including the most recent.

Elsewhere in the interview, Darby was asked if she still speaks to Jordan's son. She said, "No, we don't speak." However, she stated that after one of the events hosted during season 10 of "The Real Housewives of Potomac," he attempted to "hang out." Darby said, "Yeah, I put a stop to that. I've learned my lesson."

From there, she went on to express regret, saying, "I mean, I do feel bad about it because if Charrisse genuinely feels the way she does, I am remorseful. I don't like the way she's going about it, and that's where I'm losing respect for her, but if she's genuinely upset and I can acknowledge that I crossed a line, then we can deal with it."

Later, she stated, "But if you're going to keep defaming me and saying all this stuff and talking bad about my character, then we have another problem." Darby also stated that Jordan has received a ton of attention thanks to the scandal and that she's "happy she's back in the fold."

Following Darby's interview, "RHOP" fans shared their thoughts on her claim that she admitted to the affair to raise interest in Jordan's return to the show. One person said on X, "The way she’s trying to spin this now. Ashley is a nasty -ss liar. Charrisse ain’t sh-t either, but Ashley is so trashy. She better not be on my screen season 11."

Someone else wrote, "So Ashley is saying that because she wanted Charisse back on the show, she used the situation to get her back on? So, when people accuse her of making up storylines, why does Ashley deny it? Get her off. Now!"

A different fan of the show stated, "You know, Ashley really is the lowest of the low. She needs to go, there’s nothing else left for her on the show. These trash antics and then 'Karen' behavior after the fact are just too much."

Finally, another fan said, "So, 'hooking up' with your friend’s child doesn’t speak to your character? It’s definitely giving cringe and predatory. (Not in an underage way, but in a 'I’m waiting in the background to snatch you up the moment you turn legal' way. Major Ick!"

Darby appeared on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" in December 2025. Host Andy Cohen asked her about the romantic encounter, beginning with her reasoning for hiding it. She stated that the then 27-year-old asked her to keep it a secret.

Cohen also asked if there was more than a kiss. She responded by smiling, gazing up into the air, and then playing with her ear before saying, "Well." When asked if she saw him "only the one time," Darby said, "No, it was more than one time. Yes, it was." She also claimed that she believed Jordan had learned about the affair from seeing footage from the security camera at her home; however, this wasn't the case.

Cohen then clarified that the affair took place while he was living at her co-star's home in 2023.

Jordan has offered her thoughts on Darby's romantic encounter on multiple occasions. One of the most recent was in January 2026, when she appeared on "Sherri." When asked how her life has been since the episode aired, she stated, "It's been a whirlwind. A whirlwind."

When asked about her reaction to the news, she said, "You know, Ashley does a lot on TV, so I really didn't believe her. So, I'm waiting for the joke, and when she said my son initiated it, I know my child, he didn't initiate nothing. Now, if something happened, she initiated it." She also stated that she believed Darby hooked up with her son for a storyline, saying, "I mean, what woman would do this just for general purposes. We don't do that, Sherri."