Real Housewives of Potomac's Mia Thornton Details Relationship Struggles with Gordon
Besides facing fallout from a business bombshell, the couple's "closet"-sized new home contributes to their conflicts.
Life keeps on rolling even when the cameras aren’t.
Season 8 of The Real Housewives of Potomac, airing Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo, offers a telling reminder of that as Mia Thornton’s marital issues bubble up to the surface.
Since the season wrapped, Mia noted in a statement on Sept. 29 that she’s ending her 11-year marriage to Gordon Thornton, with whom she shares two children and a business venture. "At this time, Gordon and I are separated, but my family is my number one priority, and I am committed to doing whatever it takes to make sure we are okay," she shared.
The new season captures the couple together before the life-changing announcement, along with events and challenges they faced in the run-up to the split.
RELATED: Mia Thornton Shares a Look Inside Her Stunning New Home
Mia and Gordon's Relationship Struggles
There’s no place like home, and that cuts both ways. In Episode 1 of the new season, Mia and Gordon are in a new rental house — and they’re doing their best to adapt to the domestic downsizing.
“Moving out of the big house has been quite an adjustment,” says Mia, adding that their space has shrunk from 11,000 square feet to 1,500 square feet. “Yeah, it’s like a closet.”
There’s nothing to celebrate about feeling claustrophobic. But living large is not an option due to stark financial realities tied to their franchise of The Joint Chiropractic, a chain of wellness facilities.
“As far as cost is concerned, we can no longer afford $10,000 a month with everything that was going on with our businesses,” she explained
In a RHOP Season 7 reunion flashback, Andy Cohen says, “Mia, all of your businesses were taken away from you and G — by his brothers.”
Mia acknowledged then that she and Gordon were “living off of our savings.”
The tensions of the fiscal strain and drain is palpable in the new season. “I think eventually it’s going to get to be a court case,” Gordon tells Mia while discussing the business. “I’m not going to walk away from a half million dollars which is what the company owes me.”
Mia tells producers that she and Gordon began developing The Joint Chiropractic in 2013. “But back in September, Gordon was voted out of the family business for a reason that I’m still unsure of. I no longer work as the marketing director.”
Mia presses Gordon for the reason his siblings did that. He claims to have “no idea" for the ousting.
"All they said is that I’m not listening,” he says. “It makes no sense to get rid of a CEO who’s done nothing.”
RELATED: Mia Thornton Shared the Best Photos of Her Kids and Gordon Playing in the Snow
Gordon Thornton's Financial Struggles
Mia cops to the fact that the financial strain — and drain — has been a challenge. While trying to stay upbeat and positive about turning things around, Mia reckons with the aftershocks of the business bombshell.
“You went through a whole depression,” she reminds Gordon. “You sat on that sofa for two months. To see you like that … It was really, really hard for me. It was so hard. I didn’t think I was gonna make it through.”
"I appreciate you standing by me," says Gordon, adding, “You cussed me out a few times.”
Mia admits there were times when she did get angry and told him to get “the f-ck off your ass.”
Gordon raises a key issue for the couple — uncertainty about the truth. “You thought I’d done something wrong too,” he says to Mia.
“No,” she says. “I just didn’t know.”
“When you heard rumors of an audit, you got concerned,” he adds. “You kept asking me, ‘What did you do?’”
That’s when Mia got 100 percent real, saying, “I gotta protect my assets — and my kids.”
Keep up with Mia and Gordon and the whole cast, and watch The Real Housewives of Potomac, airing Sundays at 8/7c on Bravo.
