Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis are officially over.
On Tuesday, Jan. 21, Adionser announced in an exclusive statement to People magazine that after separating for several weeks and “after much reflection,” she and Francis have made the “difficult decision” to divorce.
“While I had hoped for mutual understanding and transparency in our relationship, it has become clear that our paths are no longer aligned, making it impossible for me to continue in this marriage,” she said, adding that the decision was not one she “made lightly.”
However, the 33-year-old reality TV star said the tough decision to end their marriage is “necessary for my own growth and peace.”
“While this chapter is ending, I will always hold respect for the time and love we shared,” she continued. “I kindly ask for privacy during this deeply personal time as I focus on healing and building a new future.”
Adionser met Francis during season 7 of Netflix’s hit reality dating TV series “Love is Blind,” while the show, which city hops each season, took a turn in Washington, DC. Over the course of the season, the two, who initially met behind a wall in what is referred to as “the pods,” captivated audiences instantly and were fan favorites by the time they had gotten engaged before meeting face-to-face.
Soon after they were engaged and had moved in together on the show, controversy developed off-screen. Internet sleuths discovered that Francis had three children he had yet to disclose on the show. When he finally broke the news to Adionser, he explained he had been a sperm donor for a lesbian couple.
At that time, Adionser notably said communication had, up until that point, been their “superpower.” She explained she felt the news — and his initial non-disclosure — was “a lot to absorb” and “something [she] should have known before agreeing to say yes.” She also noted at that time, it was, “hard not to question everything.”
By the time the castmates met back up for the season 7 reunion in October 2024, the pair were all smiles and seated together on the couch. At that time Francis used the opportunity to further clear the air surrounding the rumors. He explained that he did “help a friend and her wife start a family,” and that he had “voluntarily” stepped in to help with the children when her wife left her.
While on the show, he told Adisoner he didn’t know what his children looked like which he explained was a lie he told to protect his children’s privacy.
“There’s pictures of me around,” he explained. “I played a part that became very shaky with a friend. There’s no rule books to this… but I do want to let people know Ashley knows all this. This is news to the world, this has never been news to us.”
Adionser agreed with her then-husband adding, “With him growing up in a single-parent household… it was very hard for him to remove himself [from the situation] and not be involved when this is now a single mom.”
She said, “I know he is a good person who went in a little too deep and didn’t know what to do next.”
Beyond the existence of the three children and the true extent of his relationship with their mother, sleuths found other things to indicate Francis may have been lying about his career background, back child support payments, and other potential legal matters.
Clearly, whatever was true, was too much for Adionser to accept, leaving the star to choose her peace moving forward.
