It’s brutal out here. Ashley Hebert reflected on receiving intense criticism after announcing her split from J.P. Rosenbaum.
“When we separated … the amount of hate I got on my social media from men was mind-blowing,” the season 7 Bachelorette, 38, told Bachelor Nation’s Bob Guiney and Trista Sutter on the Thursday, March 2, episode of the “Almost Famous OGs” podcast. “That’s something that was like, ‘Wow.’ We didn’t cheat, there was no infidelity. I truly feel like we handled our divorce the best we could, and probably that anyone could. … So it was really hard to read all those messages.”
When she asked Rosenbaum, 46, whether he experienced the same level of negativity, Hebert realized that the brunt of the criticism was directed toward her. “[That was] really interesting to me,” she confessed. “Like, ‘You separated your family,’ yeah. It was like I was the one that did [something wrong].”
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Hebert went on to tease: “I always tell people, like, ‘My kids took our divorce much better than half of America.’”
The exes — who share son Ford, 8, and daughter Essex, 6 — met on the ABC reality series in 2011 and tied the knot one year later. In October 2020, the TV personalities announced that they were going their separate ways.
“We created the most beautiful children and shared memories that will never be forgotten,” Hebert wrote via Instagram. “Our differences have taken a toll on our relationship and after years of attempting to repair the damage, we’ve decided that it is in our family’s best interest to create new and separate lives for our children. Please respect our privacy as we move forward with the newness of our lives. Our ultimate focus is to create stable and healthy lives for our children. Thank you for your love and support throughout the years. Wishing you all love, happiness, and good health.”
Rosenbaum, for his part, wrote in a statement of his own: “While I realize that this will come as a complete shock to everyone, I can assure you that this is something that has been developing in our relationship for quite a while.”
He officially filed for divorce in Florida nine months later. Us Weekly broke the news in October 2021 that the pair reached a confidential settlement and finalized their divorce. Hebert has since moved on with boyfriend Yanni Georgoulakis.
Since calling it quits, Rosenbaum and the Maine native have been candid about adjusting to coparenting their two kids. The construction manager shared an exclusive update with Us in April 2022, revealing that Ford and Essex are “happy” and “healthy.”
“They’re used to spending half the time [with me] and half the time [with their mom]. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy,” he said at the time. “I know for some, it can be very, very difficult. We are so fortunate.”
Rosenbaum emphasized that he and Hebert both believe their little ones “always come first” no matter what. “There are times where we have scheduling conflicts where we are able to work it out where I’ll take them for a day that she has them, or she’ll take them for a day that I have them,” he added. “So, it’s pretty seamless.”
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While the former spouses have reunited a handful of times over the years, the New York native clarified where he and Hebert stand during an August 2022 interview. “Amicable? Yes. We’re not friends,” he said on the “She’s All Bach” podcast. “We speak to each other about the kids when we need to speak to each other about the kids.”