“Love Is Blind” Star Ashley Adionser Announces Split from Tyler Francis: 'This Was Not a Decision I Made Lightly' (Exclusive)

Love Is Blind’s Ashley Adionser and Tyler Francis are ending their marriage.

The reality stars, who met and tied the knot on season 7 of the Netflix hit, have decided to split after a little more than a year of marriage, PEOPLE can exclusively confirm.

"After much reflection, I want to share that Tyler and I have been separated for several weeks and have now made the difficult decision to end our marriage," Ashley tells PEOPLE in a statement. "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."

"This was not a decision I made lightly, but one I know is necessary for my own growth and peace," she adds. "While this chapter is ending, I will always hold respect for the time and love we shared. I kindly ask for privacy during this deeply personal time as I focus on healing and building a new future. Thank you for your understanding and support."

Related: Love Is Blind's Tyler Speaks Out About Sperm Donor Situation, Says His Kids 'Did Not Sign Up for This'

Ashley and Tyler first met in the Love Is Blind pods on season 7, which aired in October 2023. The pair formed a strong bond early on, but things got rocky when Tyler dropped the bombshell that he was a sperm donor and had three biological children. At the time, he insisted he had no relationship with them and didn't even know what they looked like.

Though Ashley was initially upset by the revelation, she finally came to a point of understanding and the two moved forward with their engagement, before tying the knot in the season 7 finale.

However, as the show was airing, it was leaked on social media that Tyler had more of a relationship than he was letting on to. Photos of him and the kids spending Christmas morning in matching pajamas circulated on the internet, along with allegations that he owed money in child support and abandoned his children to be on the show.

At the season 7 reunion, Tyler set the record straight, saying he did "help a friend and her wife start a family," but he "voluntarily" stepped in to help care for the children after his friend's wife left her. He also admitted he knowingly lied about not knowing what his kids looked like in an effort to protect them and their privacy.

"There's pictures of me around," he acknowledged. "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."

Related: Love Is Blind's Tyler Francis Says He Wants His Biological Kids to 'Have Their Family and Leave Me Alone'

For her part, Ashley slammed people who thought she was completely unaware of the situation and clarified that Tyler never wanted to discuss the topic on camera.

"For people to imply that 'she was blindsided,' 'she didn't know,' is insulting to my intelligence," she said, noting that she and Tyler spoke about it on camera in "some capacity" so that there wasn't a "disconnect" with loved ones, but "there were things he was comfortable sharing and things he wasn't."

"With him growing up in a single-parent household... it was very hard for him to remove himself [from this situation] and not be involved when this is now a single mom," she added. "I know he is a good person who went in a little too deep and didn't know what to do next."

Related: Love Is Blind's Ashley Clarifies Timeline of Learning About Tyler's Kids and Why He Doesn't Have a 'Connection' with Them Now

Though Tyler did not address the allegations that he owed money in child support and abandoned his children to be on the show at the reunion, since it was filmed before those claims surfaced online, he later spoke out about them on the Dear Future Wifey podcast in November.

On the episode, Tyler claimed he "wasn't active" in his children's lives due to his rocky relationship with the children's mother and shut down allegations he was an absent father because he never intended to be an active one.

“I want them to have their family and leave me alone,” he said, noting that he simply felt like a "glorified babysitter that [the mother of their children] need money from."

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Love Is Blind seasons 1-7 are now streaming on Netflix, and season 8 is set to premiere on Feb. 14.

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