One of Bravo’s latest recruits for “The Real Housewives of Orange County” has revealed exactly why she has stayed technically married to her ex, despite splitting up in 2020. Carmella and Jeff Garcia married in 2007 but separated in 2020, with the couple announcing that they had divorced. However, it was subsequently revealed that the pair remain legally married and have not formally gone through the divorce process.
Now, Carmella has detailed exactly why she and her husband never actually officially separated. The issue surrounds the four children that they share together, with both Carmella and Jeff choosing to stay together in order to avoid a custody arrangement that would see them both split their time with the kids.
Instead, the unconventional approach they have taken allows the two parents to be present in their children’s lives at all times.
Carmella & Jeff Garcia Remained Married So They Could Co-Parent Together
Carmella, who was previously a model and professional Wrestler in the WWE, married former NFL quarterback Jeff after dating for several years. She has recently joined the Oppenheim Group realtor organization that was made famous on “Selling Sunset” and joined the cast of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.”
It was during an episode of the show’s 20th season that Carmella explained the exact reason that she and Jeff decided to not get a divorce after separating in 2020. As reported by BravoTV, the reason revolves around the way they have chosen to raise their four children.
Carmella and Jeff share four children in total, two daughters in the form of Presley, 18, and Faith, 14, and two sons, Jason, 17, and Jax, 15.
“Jeff and I don’t have a custody agreement,” she explained.. “We share them. And if one of them needs their mom and it’s 11 o’clock at night, I’m going over to Jeff’s, and I’m picking them up. And then we spend, like, the holidays together.”
“You know, in California, it’s like 50/50 custody, and I would have died,” she added during the episode when discussing her relationships. “They were three, four, five, and six, and I was unwilling to lose my children for part of that time. I hated his guts, but then at a certain point you self-sacrifice.”
This flexibility means the children don’t have to remain with one parent simply because it’s technically their time to have them. Carmella even went on to say that they still spend a lot of time together.
Both Carmella and Jeff Continue to Date Other People
The fact that the two are not technically divorced doesn’t mean that they don’t have other romantic relationships. Carmella spoke about her relationship with a general contractor named Danny. However, she generally prefers to keep her relationship with him private and out of the spotlight, although she did reveal that they have been dating for around 10 years.
Meanwhile, Jeff also has a longtime girlfriend. He lives with her in a home owned by himself and Carmella. There’s no ill feelings between them, though, with Carmella saying that she likes her because “she’s nice to my kids.”
