Ali Krieger recalled the “devastating” moment she discovered her marriage with Ashlyn Harris was officially over, and how she’s taking steps to heal.
The USWNT legend — who retired from professional soccer after she helped lead NJ/NY Gotham FC to its first NWSL championship on Nov. 11 — was candid while discussing her public divorce for the first time in a cover story for Self.
“I’m actually in a healthy space,” Krieger said after an intense year that was filled with rumors that her marriage ended due to infidelity. “I’m still processing everything in real-time.
“Obviously, I met the most broken version of myself this year, but now — the strongest. I feel like I can get through anything, and I am so ready for this next phase. I feel like the universe has sent me a gift, and I’m ready to take it.”
Harris filed for divorce on Sept. 19, 2023, citing the marriage is “irretrievably broken,” according to court documents obtained by Page Six.
The next month, Page Six confirmed Harris and actress Sophia Bush are dating.
Krieger never addressed the split publicly but shared in an Instagram post that she was “in my Beyoncé ‘Lemonade’ era” at the time — which was a nod to the song that referenced infidelity in 2016.
The former Gotham FC teammates adopted children, 2-year-old daughter Sloane Phillips and 1-year-old son Ocean Maeve, during their marriage.
Krieger recalled that she was training when she found out her marriage was officially over.
“I came off the field, in the locker room, and I was obviously devastated,” said Krieger, who canceled the rest of her day and went home.
“Through these past five months, my friends have shown up in ways that I will cherish and remember forever. They are my true people,” she said of the support she received through her ongoing divorce. “It’s been so rewarding to see that, because you don’t know how much of an impact you have, even on your personal friends, and when they show up for you, you’re just like, Whoa — thank God.”
Krieger also leaned heavily on her Gotham teammates.
“Then my teammates just started walking through the door,” she said. “All of them. At different times. Until 2 in the morning, we were there, just hanging out, dancing, putting music on YouTube. We were sitting in the playroom, in my kitchen; we were dancing and hanging out, and they were all bringing wine and flowers, and just…themselves.
“They didn’t even think twice. They didn’t have to ask; they just showed up. They just kept coming in—from right after training, after their meetings, through 2 a.m. My kids were there, we all were there. And that’s something that I will never forget, and they will never understand how grateful and how… I’m so appreciative.”
When asked about where she sees herself in five years, Krieger explained that she hopes she’ll be “in love and in a new relationship,” but is focused on healing herself.
“My kids are happy and healthy and thriving, most importantly,” she said. “I am so in love and in a new relationship, and I’m just traveling the world, loving my job, and the people I work with, and making time for my friends and family, to create new memories. And fully healed from this past year in some way, shape, or form.”
Harris addressed the split publicly in a post on Instagram on Nov. 18, and explained that she “did not step out on my marriage”
“I was always faithful in my marriage, if not always totally happy,” Harris wrote in part. “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.”
“Ending a relationship after almost 13 years of friendship, teammate-ship, marriage and co-parenting (man of them good years) is a decision that was not made lightly. We agreed to center our children, continue therapy, separate and to move forward with our lives.
“By finally choosing my own health and happiness, I know I’ve chosen a better future for my kids.”
Harris explained the ex-couple planned to keep the news private until after Krieger’s final season, but the news leaked — which subjected her to “online hate that … has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life.”
Krieger told Self she’s excited for the future and spending more time with her kids now that she’s retired.
The former defender officially joined CBS Sports as a studio analyst — and would like to write a book, potentially a “tell-all” about her life.
Krieger and Harris, who were on two World Cup-winning USWNT teams together in 2015 and 2019, dated for nearly a decade before they tied the knot on December 28, 2019, in Miami.
The nuptials came nine months after they revealed their engagement.
The former goalkeeper and defender met at USWNT training camp in 2010.
