Ashlyn Harris has broken her silence on her split from fellow USA soccer 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 the actress Sophia Bush. The two were reportedly at Mariah Carey‘s Los Angeles Christmas concert together on Friday night, according to JustJared.
There was speculation that Harris cheated on Krieger with Bush. Krieger appeared to suggest as much herself with an Instagram post saying that she was in her ‘Beyoncé lemonade era’ – the record that addresses her husband Jay-Z being unfaithful.
Now, in a lengthy Instagram statement, Harris said: ‘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.
‘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.
‘We planned to keep this information private… a leak made that impossible. The online hate that has happened since has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life. I know that it is best practice in the world of online gossip not to feed the beast. For weeks I have tried to take this advice… and what I’ve experienced has been devastating for my mental health.
‘Words matter. The cheering on abuse, the people clamoring to encourage me to commit suicide and the cruel words spoken about my children and who I am as a mother? Those words matter.
‘People have run with a narrative that’s unbearably painful. Not all marriages last forever. Our did not. For many reasons. And while I understand that the false narrative about why might feel juicer or make a batter headline, they are simply not true.
‘Let me be clear: I did not step out on my marriage. I was always faithful in my marriage, if not always totally happy. Like 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 kids are the best part of it all. They deserve two healthy and happy parents, and that’s what matters most. 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 and Krieger adopted two children together – a boy and a girl – and married on Dec. 28, 2019, in Miami, nine months after they revealed their engagement.
They met in 2010 at USWNT training camp. Harris played 25 times for USA as a goalkeeper while Krieger, a defender made 108 appearances at international level for her country, both winning two World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
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