Sophia Bush & Grant Hughes Had An Amicable Divorce Settlement Despite Cheating Rumors
In August 2023, it was announced that Sophia Bush was divorcing her husband Grant Hughes after they'd only been married for a little over a year. A source told People, "Sophia and Grant were friends for 10 years and bonded during COVID through their love of community service. They continue to run their nonprofit together and remain good friends." It seems that their friendship has survived the divorce proceedings, even though both spouses were hit with cheating allegations.
First, Hughes was accused. In August, a blind item shared by Kyle Marisa Roth on TikTok speculated that Hughes cheated on Bush while she was out of the country. Then, Bush was in hot water in October 2023 when People announced that she and soccer star Ashlyn Harris had been dating for a few weeks (after Harris' own divorce from Ali Krieger was announced in September).
A source for Daily Mail then claimed that Harris told Krieger their relationship was over back in June after Harris and Bush had some flirty interactions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. All infidelity rumors are unconfirmed, and the People source that spoke on Bush and Harris' romance claimed "there is no salacious story." That seems to be the case, based on Bush and Hughes' amicable divorce settlement.
Bush and Hughes seemed to want the same things in the divorce
Sophia Bush's marriage to Grant Hughes is her second one (her marriage to Chad Michael Murray was quite short as well). In September 2023, People got hold of the divorce documents for Bush and Hughes, which seemed to show that the ex-couple had no bad blood following Bush's initial filing. They agreed on not wanting alimony payments, which The Blast said was included in Bush and Hughes' prenuptial agreement (via Daily Mail). Both Bush and Hughes also said in their documents that they should each pay for their lawyers.
However, it is interesting to note that according to the files, the duo officially separated on June 27, 2023 — which is the same month that Ashlyn Harris told her wife they were done.
More proof that Hughes and Bush's relationship (now platonic) is all right after both of their infidelity allegations comes in the form of Hughes' statement on Bush's new romance. In October 2023, around the time Bush and Harris went public, one of Hughes' representatives said, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled" (via Page Six). As mentioned in People, they will likely continue collaborating on The Bush Hughes Foundation for Progress post-divorce.
Harris spoke out about bullying she's received in the wake of her own divorce
Although Sophia Bush and Grant Hughes seem to be in a good place, there was possibly some tension between Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger. In October 2023, Krieger made a shady Instagram post with a caption referencing "Lemonade" by Beyoncé — which is about being cheated on.
About a month after that, Harris took to social media to explain her side of the story. In the Instagram post, Harris said they were trying not to tell anyone about their divorce until Krieger's final soccer season was finished. Unfortunately, someone told the media before it was time. The situation has affected Harris, who said, "The online hate that has happened since has been one of the most personally devastating experiences of my life. ... I have tried to let the fire burn out and what I've experienced has devastated my mental health. This has been brutal."
Harris then explained that the speculation of an affair was false, and that the decision to get divorced was not a sudden one. She condemned those who were being hateful and treating her and Krieger's separation like a fight with a winner and loser. She ended her statement with, "I'd appreciate if you could take a breath and treat me and my family with some humanity."