To say Real Housewives fans love watching the dysfunction of marriage play out on the small screen is an understatement. There is a fine line between watching an abusive union unfold and not looking away from the train wreck that is some of these women’s lives. Bravo has a knack for featuring some truly devastating red flags and odd couples over the years, and these are the most dysfunctional Real Housewives couples.
Joe and Teresa Giudice
What wasn’t wrong with Juicy Joe Giudice and Teresa Giudice’s relationship? Between living in a traditional toxic environment, Joe was allowed to walk all over his wife. Not only did he boss her around and speak to her cruelly, but he also was caught cheating on her by Bravo cameras, and caused his wife to spend time behind bars. For multiple seasons, fans of the Real Housewives of New Jersey watched as the couple would often bicker in the family kitchen, with Joe even threatening to “smack” Teresa’s head against a wall.
Joe liked to live as if he was the man of the house and often demanded sex from his wife. An earlier season caught Joe growing angry with Tre, noting, “You better stop being so fu*king tired at night. Otherwise, you’re going to be out the door when I come out.” The couple finally called it quits in 2019, and honestly, not a moment too soon.
Ashley and Michael Darby
Even though both claimed they had a loving relationship, Ashley Darby and Michael Darby’s marriage felt like one of convenience and possibly a sugar-baby situation. Naturally, fans judged the 29-year age difference, but Michael started misbehaving early on, only adding fuel to the fire. The couple started to lose that loving feeling after they opened a restaurant together. The Australian native often belittled his wife’s every move.
Things only got worse as Michael’s true personality started to shine through. During Season 1 of the Real Housewives of Potomac, a Bravo producer sued Michal for allegedly grabbing his ass, but the charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence. Michael was also caught scrolling through Grindr and hooking up with women in Las Vegas who were not his wife. This entire relationship was a hot mess express. Ashley tried her best to defend her husband, but eventually, she grew tired of the fight and walked away.
Meghan King and Jim Edmonds
Without a doubt, Meghan King was one of the most annoying Real Housewives. However, she did have a knack for great detective work. Jim Edmonds, an ex-MLB player, was rough around the edges and didn’t seem to want to partake in anything his younger wife wanted to do. Sound familiar? While their relationship looked solid from the outside, it was crumbling from within.
The couple were on two different pages thanks to the age difference, so they rarely saw eye to eye. Jim had children from a previous marriage and didn’t seem interested in starting from ground zero. But Meghan was craving the American dream and children of her own. Sadly, after giving birth to her twin boys, she discovered that Jim had been cheating on her throughout her pregnancy with the nanny. Their divorce became very public, and each grew more bitter by the day.
Phaedra Parks and Apollo Nida
Between Phaedra Parks’ pregnancy math and marrying an ex-con, fans knew they were one of the most dysfunctional Real Housewives couples. Obviously, Apollo Nida thought he had hit the jackpot when he got the lawyer pregnant out of wedlock. However, true love wasn’t meant to be.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star is beyond accomplished, so it struck viewers as odd that she would pick Apollo as her life partner. Apollo had a thing for the ladies, including castmate Kenya Moore, whom he often flirted with. It didn’t help that Apollo was charged with fraud and identity theft and sentenced to eight years in prison.
Phaedra was ashamed that her character had been tarnished in such a way. The last season before Apollo went off to jail showed the father of two terrorizing his wife and even threatening her. Needless to say, these two were not a match made in heaven.
TELL US – WHO DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST DYSFUNCTIONAL REAL HOUSEWIVES COUPLES?
