Ned Fulmer and his wife Ariel have revealed the exact moment their marriage changed forever after his affair with an employee.
The couple made their first joint appearance since Ned’s infidelity scandal three years ago on the debut episode of his new podcast Rock Bottom. They’re no longer romantically together.
Ariel discovered the affair through fans who sent her a photo.
“I found out about your affair from the fans. And I was so blindsided that somebody sent me a picture, and I couldn’t – it was like my brain couldn’t compute.”
She initially thought the woman in the photo was Ned’s sister Grace. When he picked her up from the airport, she asked why Grace had been in New York.
“I looked over to you in the driver’s seat, and I asked you, ‘Why was Grace in New York? I didn’t realize Grace was in New York.’ You looked over with me with this look on your face, and it was like the veil just fell.”
Ariel said she knew something was wrong but refused to believe it.
“And then when I saw that, just, wildly guilty look on your face, like you wanted to tell me something – I didn’t even let you say anything. I was like, ‘Turn this car around.'”
Ned remembered it slightly differently. He said Ariel asked follow-up questions and once he answered them, she knew exactly what had happened.
“It all just sort of fell down, where I totally could see how devastated and just completely traumatized you were. Everything changed for me as well.”
Current Relationship Status
The pair now live separately and co-parent their two children. A spokesperson previously confirmed to PEOPLE they’re no longer together.
They remain friends but aren’t a romantic couple.
“We are still friends, we have children together, we go on trips together. There is a spectrum of being together-not together. There’s ways in which we’re together, but the way that everyone wants to know, like, ‘Are you still, like, an item? Are you still a couple?’ No.”
Ariel hasn’t forgiven Ned for the infidelity.
“People ask me, ‘Do you forgive Ned for what he did.’ How can you forgive somebody for lying to you. For cheating on you. No. F— no.”
She added that despite everything, she can still enjoy spending time with him and their children.
“We’ve been together for a long time, and you are the father of my two beautiful children, and we know each other really well. We’ve worked through a lot of stuff, and the fact that I can be around you and still have a good time and enjoy spending time with you and enjoy spending time with my kids – I think that’s a win.”
Looking Back
Ariel described their early marriage as a “fantasy world” where she trusted Ned completely.
“I just trusted you so completely. And we grew up together. I just think, how could you do that to me. Like, who are you?”
Ned explained his perspective on what led to the affair.
“The dream started to break apart for me. Then, rather than being able to talk about it or confront those feelings, I wanted to – I guess I was too afraid to say how I was actually feeling. And it seemed, I don’t know. I chose to deal with it, deal with feelings I was experiencing, in a way that was really self-destructive and hurtful to you. And it wasn’t anything you did or we had a bad marriage. It was about me and choices that I made and just actions that I took that I’ll always regret.”
Ned left The Try Guys in 2022 after admitting to the affair.
Earlier this week, he gave his first interview since the scandal to PEOPLE. He said he avoided social media for months because it wasn’t good for his mental health.
The couple used their time away from cameras to rebuild trust and establish clearer boundaries with each other.
