Former The Bachelorette star Ashley Hebert has confessed that she was afraid her toxic marriage to J.P. Rosenbaum was going to destroy her health prior to their divorce.
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"I [was] like, 'This marriage is going to kill me. It's going to kill me.'"
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
When Ashley starred on The Bachelorette's seventh season in Summer 2011, she accepted J.P.'s marriage proposal during the finale in Fiji.
Ashley's The Bachelorette stint was viewed as a success story for nearly a decade given she and J.P. tied the knot for a televised special in December 2012 and then welcomed two children together: Fordham, 11, and Essex, 9.
But they announced their split in October 2020, and then J.P. filed for divorce in 2021.
"I made the decision [to leave him] because I care about myself and my health a lot, especially for the kids. My longevity and to be there for my kids," Ashley explained on the podcast.
Ashley pointed out how being "in an unhealthy relationship" is "not great" for the kids either.
Diving more into that epiphany Ashley had about needing to end her marriage to J.P. for self-preservation, Ashley teased, "Without sharing too many details, there was one moment -- something that happened -- where [it clicked], like, 'Yup, this is it. There's no turning back from this. This is it for me.'"
Ashley said the incident happened when she and J.P. were trying to fix their problems with therapy via Zoom amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ashley claimed that once the computer closed, J.P. "was a different person" and they had "a different dynamic."
The Bachelor alum recalled, "Something happened and it didn't work. I won't share that because it's a little too personal. With J.P., [there was] a moment, a conversation."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"It had to do with a therapy session," she elaborated. "There was something that happened and I said, 'Nope, [I'm done].'"
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW: WHOM DID 'THE BACHELORETTE' STARS AND THEIR BACHELOR PICKS ULTIMATELY END UP WITH?! (PHOTOS)
However, Ashley would still advise spouses to "try to make it work," adding, "[Our therapy] went on for a long time... I really wanted to see if there was a way to fix the issues."
But at the end of the day, Ashley said some relationships simply aren't salvageable. The Bachelorette alum noted how she and J.P. are wildly different and will probably never view life the same way.
"It's okay to have a failed marriage... I think divorce is okay if it's not working for you. You only have one life to live," she concluded.
Ashley is therefore looking for love again, and she recently revealed if she has any interest in starring on The Bachelorette for a second time.
"Yes, I would [do it again]!" Ashley enthusiastically told Rachel Recchia and her temporary co-host Joan Vassos during a February appearance on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast.
If Ashley does come back to star on a future The Bachelorette season -- which would be a whopping 15 years or more after she starred on Season 7 in 2011 -- she said she certainly won't be bringing insecurity with her.
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"I feel empowered and much more secure in myself. I feel there were so many moments of insecurity that I just don't feel anymore."
Ashley also said she'd bring "a new perspective" to The Bachelorette.
"I have kids now, I have a career and so many things going on. And also, [I'd bring] just a new idea for what I'd want in a relationship," Ashley said.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
Ashley was most recently linked to Yanni Georgoulakis, whom she had begun dating in Spring 2021. But it appears they have broken up and she's single again.
After Ashley and J.P. announced their breakup in late 2020, J.P. revealed he and Ashley had already been separated for months and the pair did "absolutely everything" to save their marriage.
J.P. previously told E! News that there was "no fighting" with Ashley as they proceeded with a divorce and they intended to remain "friendly" in order to co-parent their two children.
Ashley explained that she and J.P. broke up, in part, because they "see the cup differently" in life.
"I lost a huge part of what I loved about myself towards the end of my marriage," Ashley confessed. "I feel like myself again. Don't have an explanation for it though."
Ashley originally appeared on Season 15 of The Bachelor.
She and J.P. also appeared on Season 7 of Marriage Boot Camp: Reality Stars in 2017.
Ashley and J.P. were shown arguing over how to parent Fordham, who was born in September 2014, and Essex, who was born in November 2016.
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RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
