Celebrity Celebrity Relationships Celebrity Breakups 'RHOP' Alum Monique Samuels Reveals Ashley Darby Is 'Going to Keep It Moving' amid Divorce Ashley Darby announced her separation from Michael Darby in April after eight years of marriage By Dory Jackson Dory Jackson Dory Jackson is a Staff Editor for PEOPLE's TV News team. Upon joining the brand in March 2021, she has had the opportunity to interview a long list of celebrities, from Kate Hudson to Pierce Brosnan to Billy Porter. She has also helped recap popular TV shows like 'The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills,' 'Sister Wives' and 'Vanderpump Rules.' The New York-based Maryland native graduated from Randolph-Macon College in May 2016 with a focus on Communication Studies and Journalism. She came to PEOPLE in March 2021 after working at a number of major news companies, including Newsweek and Us Weekly. People Editorial Guidelines Published on May 13, 2022 12:47PM EDT Real Housewives of Potomac alum Monique Samuels is opening up about how her friend and former costar Ashley Darby is coping since announcing her separation from husband Michael Darby. "She's doing good," Samuels, 38, told Page Six,. "The reason why Ashley and I get along so well is because we both focus on what we want the outcome to be," she continued. "We don't sit and sulk. So with her, she's going to be like, 'OK, this is the decision I made. I'm going to keep it moving.' And that's what she's doing." Samuels admitted to being aware of "some tension" between the now-estranged pair, though she believes they still "work well together." "If they made this decision to separate, it's because going forward, they know they're going to be OK," she said. "Whether that's OK together or whether that's OK co-parenting." Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU/Getty (2) RELATED GALLERY: Ashley Darby's Cutest Family Photos Fortunately for Ashley, the Love & Marriage: DC star and her husband, Chris Samuels, intend to "be there" for the newly single Bravo personality. "I just encourage her and just reiterate, 'I know that you're making the best decision that you know that you should make for yourself and your children. And I'm here for you. Chris and I are here for you,'" Samuels concluded. She added of Ashley: "And she knows that." Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Ashley, 33, married Michael, 62, in 2014. They welcomed sons Dean in July 2019 and Dylan in March 2021. Last month, Ashley told Bravo's The Daily Dish that the longtime couple had parted ways. She said that while many underlying issues — including their 29-year age gap and cultural differences — may have contributed to the split, "no one reason is the root cause of our mutual decision to go our separate ways." Ashley and Michael Darby. Charles Sykes/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images "We are now both at very different stages in our lives and have different goals for our futures. We both want the other to achieve true happiness and fulfillment and feel that we cannot do this together," her statement read. "While our romantic bond is broken, we will always love and respect each other." She continued, "We also know that true happiness can only be achieved by continuing to work together and putting our hearts and souls into raising our two beautiful boys, Dean and Dylan. They will always feel loved and supported, for they were truly created out of love." A source later told PEOPLE that Ashley and Michael were "having serious problems for about a year." But for Ashley, "the inconsistencies within the relationship and trust issues led to the split."