Ali Krieger has a major love life update.
Almost a year after her ex-wife, Ashlyn Harris, filed for divorce, Krieger revealed that she's in a new relationship with "a wonderful person." The former Olympian, 39, appeared on Wednesday's She Pivots podcast episode and confirmed she is dating someone new following her highly publicized split from Harris, 38.
"I'm dating a wonderful person right now, who I really, really like. I'm, you know, so grateful that we met," Krieger said, keeping her new partner's identity under wraps for now.
The retired soccer star further explained that she didn’t jump right into a relationship following the end of her marriage with Harris, whom she wed in December 2019 after meeting in 2010 when they were members of the United States women's national soccer team, because she needed to "grieve" the breakdown of their relationship.
"It gave me time from when [Ashlyn] left to really focus on obviously soccer and finishing my career, but then healing my wounds and kind of licking my wounds so to speak," Krieger continued.
Harris filed for divorce from Krieger in September 2023 after four years of marriage, according to People.
Krieger added, "I think, now, eight, nine months down the road has now given me time to grieve, and to sort through all those feelings."
Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris with their kids, Sloane and Ocean.
Krieger, who shares custody of two adopted children, Sloane, 3, and Ocean, 2, with Harris, noted that divorce was never something she wanted and that she was "willing to fight" to make it work.
"I really did love what we had," she said. "And I really loved her and our kids."
The news of Krieger's new romance comes after Harris started dating actress Sophia Bush, 42.
Harris' relationship with the One Tree Hill star came with controversy, as both were previously married, divorcing their respective partners shortly before rumors of their relationship started to spread in October 2023. Bush filed for divorce from Grant Hughes in August 2023 after 13 months of marriage.
Ashlyn Harris and Sophia Bush.
In November 2023, Harris attempted to clear up speculation about the end of her marriage.
"Several weeks ago, a process that had been ongoing privately for some time became public," she wrote of her divorce filing in a lengthy statement shared to Instagram. "Ending a relationship after almost 13 years of friendship, teammate-ship, marriage and co-parenting (many 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. Two happy families are always better than one unhappy one. This process is never easy, but we were making our way through."
The athlete went on to explain that at the advice of their agents, she and Krieger decided that they would keep the information private until Krieger retired. However, their trust was broken when someone "leaked" the news of their split, which she called "a betrayal of our deepest confidence."
"The online hate that has happened since has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life," she wrote. "Now, I know that it is best practice in the world of online gossip 'not to feed the beast. Don't respond. Don't let them see you sweat.' Just hide away until the tabloids and Internet trolls decide to feast on someone else. For weeks, I have tried to take this advice. I have tried to let the fire burn out and what I've experienced has devastated my mental health. This has been brutal."
Harris ended her message by sharing that her top priority is her children and being a good co-parent with Krieger and that she still plans to be optimistic about the future.
"Despite this current darkness, there have been years of love between us. And the kids are the best part of it all. They deserve two healthy and happy parents, and that's what matters most," she wrote. "We are all in pain. I share all of this to remind people that bullying anyone about a personal decision, especially when that bullying is rooted in lies, really hurts. I'm hoping that instead of continuous cruelty, you can remember the simple truth that I'm a human being, a mom, and a good person just trying my best. I'd appreciate if you could take a breath and treat me and my family with some humanity."
Ashlyn Harris and Sophia Bush.
Harris and Bush made their relationship official earlier this year when they made their first public appearance together at the Elton John AIDS Foundation's 32nd annual Academy Awards viewing party in West Hollywood, California, on March 10.
"The two kept a low profile, avoiding media and mingling with friends," a source told ET at the time. "This comes after the happy couple spent a fun time together with friends at South by Southwest in Austin. The two enjoyed the festivities while in Austin, and made it a point to lay low."
Since then, Harris and Bush have been going strong, even sparking engagement rumors.
RELATED CONTENT:
