While actress Sophia Bush and soccer star Ashlyn Harris have been friends for years, rumors of a romance between them surfaced in 2023. Fans are wondering how the pair became involved and if their relationship played a part in their respective divorces.
Are Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Dating?
Sophie confirmed that she and Ashlyn were dating in April 2024. She wrote a piece for Glamour magazine where she broke her silence on the relationship for the first time.
The actress confirmed that she and Ashlyn, who met in 2019, connected on a deeper level while finding support within the same community of women in 2023. At the time, they were both navigating the ends of their marriages.
Reports that Sophia and Ashlyn were an item first surfaced on October 17, 2023. “It’s very new. They are definitely a couple,” a source told Page Six, while an insider from their social circle told People that the women just went on their first date.
“After being friends for years, and running in the same social circles, Sophia and Ashlyn went out on their first dinner date a couple of weeks ago,” a source told the outlet, adding, “This is so recent, and they are both beginning new chapters.” Both women are in the process of divorcing their respective spouses.
When Did Sophia Bush File For Divorce?
The One Tree Hill alum filed for divorce from husband Grant Hughes on August 4, 2023, after 13 months of marriage. The pair wed in a lavish ceremony at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Grant’s native Tulsa, Oklahoma, on June 11, 2022.
“Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled,” the entrepreneur’s rep told Life & Style about his estranged wife after the news broke that she was reportedly dating Ashlyn.
Sophia had gushed about her marriage to Grant in a one-year anniversary post in June, writing, “Today marks 365 days of calling you ‘husband.’ Best decision of my life. It still feels just like this. Ecstatic. Running toward the future, grinning and laughing, together. I love you, my favorite. Happy Anniversary.”
She has since deleted the post and later admitted that she felt forced to share it at the time. “I wrote a really nice story about the people in that picture,” Sophia recalled. “Except it was just that: a story. I typed something about how incredibly happy I was and tried to drown out the familiar voice in my head. ‘Make it look easy. Make it look perfect. If your smile is shiny enough, maybe no one will notice that up close all of your teeth are broken.’ But sometimes broken is just broken. I hit post. And then I walked into the bathroom and threw up.”
Sophia also made it clear that she did not end her marriage because she suddenly realized she was interested in women. “The idea that I left my marriage based on some hysterical rendezvous – that, to be crystal-clear, never happened – rather than having taken over a year to do the most soul crushing work of my life? Rather than realizing I had to be the most vulnerable I’ve ever been, on a public stage, despite being terrified to my core? It feels brutal. Just because I didn’t want to process my realizations in real time on social media and spell them out for the world doesn’t mean the journey wasn’t long and thoughtful and exhaustive.”
When Did Ashlyn Harris File for Divorce?
Ashlyn filed for divorce from fellow United States Women’s National Soccer team player Ali Krieger on September 19, 2023. The pair met in 2010 and made their relationship public in March 2019. They got married nine months later. The former couple share two young children, adopting daughter Sloane 2021, and son Ocean in August 2022.
On November 18, 2023, Ashlyn broke her silence regarding her divorce in a lengthy statement on Instagram. She addressed the reason for their breakup, shutting down rumors that she cheated on Ali.
“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,” Ashlyn wrote. “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.”
Explaining why she and Ali decided to part ways, the soccer player wrote, “Not all marriages last forever. Ours did not. For many reasons. … 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. We spent the entire summer working to tackle the separation and divorce steps outlined for us by our therapists, lawyers, and our shared agency.”
Though Ashlyn was hesitant to respond to the “online hate” she’s received, it became too much for her. She concluded her statement by saying that she was “finally choosing her own health and happiness,” which would ensure a “better future” for their children as she and Ali commit to being “good” coparents.
Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris’ Relationship
The women kept details about their romance out of the spotlight for months, but debuted their relationship when they posed for a photo together at the Elton John AIDS Foundation’s annual Oscars viewing party with actor Eric McCormack in March 2024.
Meanwhile, Sophia seemingly hinted at their romance while calling 2023 the year that “changed everything” in a January 2024 Instagram post.
“No more playing small. No more turning my back on myself. No more settling for what falls short because ‘who am I to ask for more?’ This year put me back in my body. I left it a long time ago, in such a way that I forgot what it felt like to inhabit my own skin,” she wrote. “I feel my whole self from the tops of my ears to the tips of my toes now. It’s breathtaking. Life giving. Affirming.”
In her Glamour essay, she added, “I don’t believe it’s my place to discuss details of Ashlyn’s circumstances or her children, but I will say that I am absolutely in awe of her relentless integrity. The way she prioritizes and centers her kids, not only in her life but in the core of her being, is breathtaking to behold. Falling in love with her has sutured some of my own childhood wounds, and made me so much closer to my own mother. Seeing Ashlyn choose to not simply survive, but thrive, for her babies has been the most beautiful thing I’ve ever witnessed a friend do. And now I get to love her. How lucky am I?”
Days after Sophia’s essay went live, she and Ashlyn made their red carpet debut as a couple at the 2024 White House Correspondents’ Dinner at the Washington Hilton on April 27. Ashlyn wrapped her arm around Sophia’s waist as they smiled for photos together. In one photo, the two looked lovingly into each other’s eyes. Sophia and Ashlyn later laughed together in photos at the Swiss Ambassador’s Residence after the dinner.
How Long Have Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris Known Each Other?
Sophia and Ashlyn met in 2019 and grew closer on a panel together at Cannes Lions, which the Chicago P.D. alum posted about on June 19. In an Instagram post showing the actress smiling and putting her hand on Ashlyn’s arm as the athlete threw her head back and laughed, Sophia wrote, “Had an absolutely amazing conversation at Cannes Lions today with these trailblazing women. @stagwell hosted us for a panel where discussed the impact that deep, creative partnerships can make to challenge societal systems and narratives, and to uplift women in sports!” adding, “Love you @ashlynharris24 and @sophieannkelly.”
The John Tucker Must Die star is an investor in Los Angeles’ Angel City Football Club and has known Ashlyn through the sport. When announcing her participation in the team in 2020, Sophia said, “As a lifelong soccer fan, having a women’s football club in my hometown is a dream come true. Being a part of a leadership group like this one, filled with women and allies who are passionate about building community both on and off the field — who care about legacy, integrity, and the advancement of female athletes — is thrilling.”
Ashlyn and Ali played for the Washington Spirit when the National Women’s Soccer League formed in 2013. The duo went on to play for the Orlando Pride from 2016 until 2021, before being traded together to the NJ/NY Gotham FC in 2022. Ashlyn announced her retirement in November 2022. Ali revealed she would be retiring at the end of the 2023 season and played her final regular season NWSL match on October 17, 2023, the same day news broke about Ashlyn and Sophia.
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