This Is Why Meghan King And Jim Edmonds Divorced
The "Real Housewives" franchise is one of the most popular reality programs on television today, and it all started with the premiere of "The Real Housewives of Orange County" in 2006. Over the last decade and a half, "RHOC" fans have seen a multitude of cast shake-ups, with the introduction and exit of memorable cast members like Jo De La Rosa, Alexis Bellino, Gretchen Rossi, Lydia McLoughlin, and of course, the young and outspoken Meghan King, who made her "RHOC" debut as a guest star on Season 9 at Terry and Heather Dubrow's hoedown party (via Inquisitr).
King then became a main cast member on Season 10-12 and made her mark on the series by basically proving that Vicki Gunvalson's ex, Brooks Ayers, was faking his cancer diagnosis. "I think people think that I was a little overzealous, and maybe I was," the former reality star told People in 2020. "But it really sucked to be dealing with cancer, with my friend LeeAnn dying of cancer, and to see this guy Brooks, this sleazeball trying to profit off of cancer with Vicki."
Additionally, King's marriage to baseball star Jim Edmonds was documented on the series, as well as her journey with IVF — something that she did mostly by herself, considering Edmonds was traveling back and forth from California to St. Louis throughout the season.
Meghan King and Jim Edmonds has a strained relationship from the get-go
Meghan King and Jim Edmonds exchanged vows and said "I do" in St. Louis on October 24, 2014 (via Us Weekly); however, their marriage was seemingly on the rocks from the start, as shown throughout the three seasons King was featured on the show. From Edmonds begging his wife to keep him out of the drama between the ladies to his apparent disinterest in their relationship, many fans — and some cast members — figured it was only a matter of time before the two headed their separate ways.
In an October 2018 blog post, King hinted at trouble in her and Edmonds' marriage after posting about their kids-free Mexico vacation, writing that their "marriage needs it" and they had "become complacent in our lives and have taken each other for granted" (via E! News).
In June 2019, Edmonds was accused of being unfaithful to King after allegations that he had sent a woman a explicit pictures and videos on the same day King was giving birth to their twins started making the rounds. Edmonds denied the allegations, telling Us Weekly in an exclusive statement, "Regrettably, I had a lapse in judgment. I engaged in an inappropriate conversation with this person. At no time was there any type of relationship or physical contact. Absolutely none. This is someone trying to profit from my name. I am aware she has done this to others in the past."
The couple split for good in 2019
Just one day after their fifth wedding anniversary, Jim Edmonds filed for divorce from Meghan King after she accused him of cheating on her with one of their nannies, Carly Wilson, who was only 22 years old at the time (via Cosmopolitan). Edmonds and Wilson were spotted at a hockey game together about a week before the split was announced, and the couple had gotten into a verbal disagreement after King had interrogated him about who he went to the game with — so bad that King ended up calling the cops on her now ex-husband.
In a since-deleted blog post, King issued a statement about the split, admitting that she wasn't sure if Edmonds slept with Wilson or any of the "several young women" he was allegedly lying about hanging out with. "To be clear, I don't know if Jim slept with our babysitter or whether they were just being exceedingly inappropriate by hanging out socially without either of them telling me (and Jim expressly lying to me about it)," she wrote (via Us Weekly). "I've gone back and forth with my thoughts for a couple days but as I write this, I don't think he did. But I still don't understand why he'd lie. And why would she lie?"
Jim Edmonds called his marriage to Meghan King 'loveless' and 'abusive'
In October 2019, the same month that the couple split, Jim Edmonds issued his own statement on Instagram about the cheating allegations against him. "It's one thing to be accused of something. It's another thing to be so negligent and so careless, and ruin the lives of innocent young people. I did not sleep with our nanny," Edmonds wrote (via Us Weekly), adding, "We have been treating and raising this young girl like she is our own child. For someone to accuse me of sleeping with her is not only wrong, it's disgusting and irresponsible." The former MLB star then slammed the former "Real Housewives" star in the post, alleging that she knew how to "play the Instagram game" and was putting their family in harm's way by accusing him of cheating.
Less than a year later, Edmonds took to Instagram to praise his now-fiancé, Kortnie O'Connor, while simultaneously taking a dig at King. "I was in such a dark place; one that I didn't think could happen to me. I was going through hell ending a loveless and abusive relationship," he wrote (via Today). "The lies and accusations that followed the breakup only put me deeper into a funk. Along came this beautiful woman by chance, who lit up my world and brought me back to life," he continued, adding O'Connor has made him a better person and father.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.