RHOA's Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman's Relationship, From Dating to Divorce
The Real Housewives of Atlanta pair announced their split in March 2023 after almost a decade of marriage.
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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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.”
Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman'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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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 Pittman said he wouldn’t adopt Drew Sidora’s son Josiah, 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. (It 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 Sidora spoke about her marriage 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 Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman 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 Sidora'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 Sidora opened up about her relationship with Ralph Pittman 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 Sidora and Ralph Pittman'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.
RELATED: Drew Sidora Reveals Why She Didn't Tell the RHOA Ladies About Her Divorce
“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 Sidora updated 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.
Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman shared divorce updates during the RHOA Season 15 finale in August 2023
While filming for RHOA was supposed to end in January 2023, cameras picked back up in March after news of Drew and Ralph’s divorce made headlines. Footage from that aired during the RHOA Season 15 finale on August 27, 2023.
"A lot of things have been happening over the course of the marriage," Drew shared in her final Season 15 interview. "And honestly, things were just not getting better."
The actress also stated that she “allowed things that no woman should ever allow" in her marriage, adding that she’d lost her voice.
At the end of the finale, it was noted that “Drew and Ralph continue to cohabitate in their home and co-parent their children.”
In the episode, the former pair sat down for separate interviews to discuss their living arrangements.
“We’re not even sharing the same space,” Drew shared.
Ralph explained that the new sleeping situation has been good for him.
“Me moving out of the bedroom is me actually getting to a place where I’m comfortable… It’s about me making certain changes that make me feel good,” he said. “By sleeping in the other room, it allows me to get the sleep that I need, I can wake up refreshed, and stay by myself and reflect.”
However, Drew pointed out some negatives in the arrangement.
“Ralph, at this point, is avoiding [and] deflecting,” she said.
How did Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman’s children react to the divorce?
Before she began her last on-camera interview that aired in the finale, Drew got a call from fellow cast member Kenya Moore, asking how her kids were holding up in the midst of everything.
RELATED: We Have New Details on Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman's Divorce
"Today I felt like my 11-year-old, JoJo, he was just a little sad,” Drew said of Josiah. Machai, on the other hand, had been asking “where Daddy was."
“We were trying to figure out when would be a good time to talk about everything,” Drew added.
Drew Sidora didn’t tell her fellow Atlanta Housewives about the divorce
During an episode of the RHOA After Show following the Season 15 finale, Kandi shared that she saw Drew in person one day before news of her divorce broke, "but [she] didn't mention it."
"It was almost happening faster than I could process it," Drew explained. "And sometimes I wanted to tell myself it wasn't happening or something was gonna change and we were gonna stop it."
The actress also noted she’s a “private person.”
"I just felt like until I'm ready to talk — until I can talk about it and really process it — I'm just trying to deal,” she said.
Drew Sidora and Ralph Pittman talked about their divorce during the RHOA Season 15 reunion
When The Real Housewives of Atlanta Season 15’s two-part reunion aired in September 2023, plenty of conversation was tied to Drew and Ralph’s divorce. During the event, they clarified that they’d yet to tell their children about the separation. They also shared that their divorce is yet to be finalized, as they’re “going through mediation.”
Several of her fellow RHOA cast members thought the couple might yet work things out
During Part 1 of the reunion, Sanya asked Drew if she thought her marriage could be mended.
"As of right now," Drew responded, "we are going through the process [of divorce]."
Nevertheless, Kenya noted that she “things could change.”
"I think they will," Sanya shared. "I think they will as well,” Marlo Hampton added.
Andy, on the other hand, gave Ralph a piece of his mind after Drew got emotional and left the soundstage during Part 2 of the reunion.
"I always want my wife to be in a good place and I've supported her for a very long time," Ralph told Andy "I always uplift her. I'm always supporting [her]."
"I don't know if that always reads on camera,” Andy responded.
Kenya also stood up to her fellow cast member’s estranged husband.
"You can't say you're supporting [Drew] when she tells you that someone is calling her a bitch and she has a problem with it and you're like, 'Everyone calls you a bitch, so get over yourself,’” she told Ralph.
Still, Andy asked the pair if there’s “any hope for reconciliation.” He also specifically asked Ralph if he “still [has] love for Drew.”
"Of course, I love my wife. I always have," Ralph responded. "[I've] always loved her. It's just very challenging."
Drew also made a surprising confession about their split.
"Of course I love my husband. I mean, I would love for a reconciliation, but I just feel like there's so many issues,” she said.
While an argument ensued between the two, spirits were better by the end of the event.
"I do wanna say that, Drew, as mentioned, I love you and have loved you,” Ralph said. “Ideally, I just wanna see you happy. I mean, that's something that means the world to me. I wanna see you happy."
Originally published Apr 27, 2023.
