When Drew Sidora landed on the reality TV scene, she was joined by her husband, Ralph Pittman. The Real Housewives of Atlanta fans might remember their introduction to the couple in Season 13, when they got in a fight during their anniversary dinner during Episode 2. Since then, we’ve been along for the ride — and they’ve kept us on the edge of our seats.
After (almost) a decade of marriage and (almost) three seasons of ups and downs as seen on RHOA, the pair officially called it quits in early 2023. Revisit their relationship, from dating to marriage to children and everything to come during Season 15 of RHOA.
When did Drew and Ralph meet?
The couple first connected in 2013 while Drew was promoting CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story. She played T-Boz in the movie, which followed the girl group’s ’90s rise to fame. At the time, Drew was a single mother to Josiah, her son from a previous relationship.
RELATED: Everything to Know about RHOA Drew Sidora’s Entertainment Career
“I met him when I was on the press tour,” Drew revealed during an early Season 13 RHOA interview. “Three months later, we end up going for lunch. Six months later, we were married. … It was amazing. It was a match made in heaven.”
According to a 2015 interview with People, Drew and Ralph’s first date lasted 12 hours, leaving her feeling like she’d just met the “man of [her] dreams.”
When did Drew and Ralph get engaged?
According to the same PEOPLE interview, Ralph proposed in June 2014 with a rooftop soirée. The romantic setup came complete with tiki torches and a video of him asking Josiah if he could “be his daddy.”
Unsurprisingly, Drew said yes.
When did Drew and Ralph get married?
Just months after their engagement, the duo wed on a California beach.
“We had been planning to do a big wedding, but Ralph’s lease was up and I wanted him to move in,” Drew said in the above People interview. “We wanted to set a good example for Josiah, so we decided to just do a small wedding on the beach.”
The couple welcomed their son, Machai, in June 2015
The pair’s son, Machai, joined the family just shy of Drew and Ralph’s first wedding anniversary.
In June 2022, Ralph shared an Instagram post in honor of Machai’s seventh birthday.
“Give it up one time for the Birthday Boy Machai!!” the technology specialist wrote alongside a video compilation of his son. “Being a dad is the greatest gift in the world and I want to give them the best life possible. I also must thank @drewsidora for birthing our blessing.”
Drew and Ralph’s daughter Aniya was born in February 2018
The pair welcomed a daughter, Aniya, in February 2018.
“I can do all the girly things like play Barbies, there’s already enough men in this house,” Drew told PEOPLE before her daughter was born. “Oh gosh, [all the boys are] just so loud. They’re so messy and they leave the toilet seat up, ugh, disgusting. It would be such a blessing to have my little girl. She would be like my little mini-me.”
Drew and Ralph joined the cast of RHOA Season 13 in December 2020
The family of five made their first official RHOA appearance during Season 13. In Episode 2, fans got a taste of some of their challenges when Drew and Ralph got in an argument during their six-year anniversary dinner over his mysterious solo trip.
“My husband will say we’re getting a divorce,” Drew explained to her fellow Housewives before the blowup. “Last week, he left and didn’t tell me where he was. He was gone for like three days.”
At the dinner, which took place at Drew and Ralph’s house, everything started off smoothly. Chocolate covered strawberries were served and champagne was popped.
Still, Ralph’s recent disappearance came up, with him finally admitting he went to Tampa, Florida.
“How does that help you?” Ralph said.
Ralph said he wouldn’t adopt Drew’s son, would write step-parenting book
On Season 14 Episode 13, Ralph announced his plans to write a book about step-parenting—in the same episode in which he shared that he’d decided not to go through with his promise to adopt Drew’s son Josiah.
Drew felt hurt by his announcement.
“We were in Jamaica. I’m hearing this literally for the first time. He made an announcement [previously] to me and my mom that he was going to adopt Josiah and it was this whole moment that we were, like, literally in tears,” Drew recalled during the The Real Housewives of Atlanta After Show, noting that she felt “blindsided” by his decision.
According to Drew, Ralph’s mind was made up after he talked to Josiah’s biological father, who wasn’t thrilled about another man adopting his son.
“If he never would have said, ‘I’m going to adopt him,’ then I probably wouldn’t have had an issue with it. But because he had made this grand decision and flipped, I was like, ‘Where is this coming from?’” the That’s So Raven alum added.
Drew also shared her thoughts about the book, officially titled The Step In Parenting and was published June 18, 2023.
“I think it’s an important conversation that needs to be had, because we don’t talk about it. There is no blueprint on how to blend a family, but it is so challenging,” she said. “I felt like he might be onto something and I want to support him because it could help a lot of people.”
Drew spoke about her relationship during a January 2021 WWHL Appearance
During a January 3, 2021 episode of Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Drew gave fans an update on the state of her relationship, again commenting on the time Ralph left the house for multiple days without telling her where he was going.
“That was a first. He had never left town for multiple days,” she said, noting that the couple was still attending counseling, which they’d showcased on RHOA. “We’re on that journey. Just doing the work. And, as you saw, he opened up a little about his past, so there is some trauma as I learned from [the counselor]. And he’s working on himself and he is committed to the marriage.”
RHOA Season 14 showcased the couple in counseling
“I did not know my marriage would be so much work,” Drew told Sanya Richards-Ross during the Season 14 premiere. “Ralph and I have been through a lot.”
In Episode 2, fans watched the pair’s now-infamous “dinner party from hell,” where Ralph planned a whole day for Drew culminating in a rooftop dinner party.
“I would prefer to use this night as an opportunity just to enjoy each other’s company, and we can leave everything else for marriage counseling,” Ralph said at one point in the meal.
“If me expressing myself means we have a bad night, what the hell are we doing?” the former child actress responded.
As the season went on, fans continued to watch the couple’s counseling journey as they tried to work through their marital issues.
“Do you know that you guys attack one another?” therapist Dr. Ken asked the couple in Episode 4.
At the Season 14 reunion, Drew confirmed to Andy that she and Ralph were still in counseling, having spoken to Dr. Ken the morning of the reunion taping. Watch more in the video below.
September 2022: RHOA Season 14 Reunion and Drew’s New Song “Already Know”
At the RHOA Season 14 reunion, Drew noted that the couple experiences “high highs and low lows.”
“It’s tough,” she added.
That same month, Drew released a new song, “Already Know,” which was partially produced by Ralph.
“SURPRISE. So we did a thing,” Drew shared on Instagram about the project. “I’m beyond grateful and excited to share something I’ve been passionate about throughout my entire career. I wanna thank my husband aka ‘producer’ for making this little dream of mine a reality. We’re doing this thang together and I couldn’t feel more blessed.”
October 2022: Drew opened up about her relationship with Ralph at BravoCon
At BravoCon 2022, Drew opened up about the state of her marriage.
“It’s hard, not gonna lie, but it’s marriage,” she said on October 15 during the “Atlanta Peaches in the Big Apple” panel. “Whether it’s a relationship or a marriage, know that it’s not one note. It’s a rollercoaster ride. You have your good days, you have your bad days.”
The actress added that she and her husband had decided to stay in counseling together.
March 2023: Drew and Ralph’s Divorce Announcement
The couple’s divorce was first reported in March 2023.
“I immediately reached out to her and told her I was praying for her,” Drew’s fellow RHOA cast member Porsha Williams shared during a WWHL appearance. “And honestly, [I’m] praying for him too, because in a situation like that, you want the best outcome for both people. If it’s not working out, go ahead and break up.”
RHOA Season 15 began
Season 15 of RHOA, which premiered May 7, highlighted some of the difficulties the couple faced, as well as the aftermath of their divorce filing.
In a clip from the trailer, Drew and Ralph are shown in couples therapy, with Drew revealing that Ralph moved out of their bedroom.
“Who hasn’t filed for divorce?” Ralph says.
Toward the end of the clip, Drew tells producers that she’s “ready” to talk about her split — as the rest of the cast reacts to the news.
June 2023: Drew updates fans about her divorce
During a June 2023 appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Drew opened up about what led to her split from Ralph and where they currently stand. According to Drew, her current communication with Ralph is “nonexistent” unless it comes to their children.
“I think it was a culmination of just the years of enduring and enduring. And as a wife, you know, my parents have been married for 60 years, so I only saw two people who loved each other and constantly fought for their marriage. That’s how I was raised,” Drew shared. “But I think at a point when it’s public humiliation and dealing with things that are now coming out in front of the camera, it was a breaking point that I reached.”
After Andy asked the actress if her estranged husband was “faithful” to her during their marriage, Drew said she knows “that wasn’t the case.” She also revealed there is truth to the rumor that both she and Ralph filed for divorce — though she wasn’t trying to beat him to it.
“Oh lord, it wasn’t a race. I got to a point where enough was enough, and once he caught wind that I was planning to file, then it became [a race],” she said.
This story was originally published on April 27, 2023. It was updated June 28, 2023.
Watch The Real Housewives of Atlanta on Bravo Sundays at 8/7c, and the next day on Peacock. Catch up on past seasons on Peacock (Seasons 1 through 14) and the Bravo app (Season 14).
