Ashley Darby, star of Real Housewives of Potomac, recently faced some serious backlash after attempting to honor the late Roberta Flack with a tribute performance that didn’t quite hit the right note.
The 36-year-old reality TV star, who finalized her divorce from Michael Darby in February, appeared on Fox 5 DC Thursday evening to cover Flack’s iconic 1973 hit, Killing Me Softly With His Song.
Unfortunately for Ashley, her rendition didn’t resonate with fans the way she had hoped.
Fans Are Unimpressed by Her Performance
The performance was meant to promote Ashley’s upcoming exhibition at the historic Mr. Henry’s venue in Southeast, DC, which was scheduled for Saturday.
However, the moment was overshadowed by fans’ harsh reactions to the off-pitch cover. On social media, the critiques came flooding in.
One user commented, “Killing me softly, indeed,” while another described Ashley’s rendition as having “karaoke vibes.”
It didn’t take long for others to join in, with one person labeling the performance as “terrible.” The backlash was swift and, frankly, unrelenting.
Social Media Reactions Go Viral
The timing of Ashley’s performance also seemed to hit a sensitive nerve.
Just weeks after Roberta Flack’s passing at the age of 88, fans were expecting something special.
Instead, one user on Instagram expressed how they “cringed every time this showed up on my feed,” and humorously added, “I know Roberta has ear muffs on in heaven after this catastrophic performance.”
Other comments were equally unforgiving, with one saying, “I know in her mind she was killing it and that’s just where this performance should have stayed.”
The criticism didn’t stop there—one person even joked, “The poor band was confused,” followed by a string of crying-laughing emojis.
Ashley Darby Stands by Her Performance
Despite the internet backlash, Ashley wasn’t about to let the negativity stop her.
Over the weekend, she returned to the stage with another performance.
On Sunday, she posted footage from her Saturday night show, where she tackled a variety of songs, including Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive, Corinne Bailey Rae’s Put Your Records On, and even Beyoncé’s 2002 track Work It Out.
Ashley’s resilience was clear, as she proudly shared the footage, fully aware that the comments surrounding her previous performance were less than kind.
For Ashley, this was just another chapter in her journey—one that she wasn’t going to let critics write for her.
A New Chapter After Divorce
This musical moment comes shortly after Ashley finalized her divorce from her estranged husband, Michael Darby.
The two ended their marriage earlier this year after Ashley first filed for divorce in November.
They had been separated for over two years before the divorce was finalized, and during that time, Ashley moved out of the home they shared.
Since then, she has been seeing Summer House star Luke Gulbranson, with the two beginning their relationship at the end of 2022.
As Ashley moves on from her personal and professional challenges, she’s continuing to embrace new ventures, whether they’re met with applause or criticism.
