The woman who found her “missing” reality TV chef husband living in another state after he allegedly abandoned her and their two children has issued an update on the “insane” situation.
Ashley McGuire, from Massachusetts, took to Facebook asking for help locating her husband Charles Withers, claiming he “ghosted” her a year earlier while she was pregnant with their second child.
After writing in the “Are We Dating the Same Guy” group explaining she wanted to file for divorce but it was difficult because her husband was “unreachable”, the internet was quick to jump into action.
Within 16 hours Mr Withers was “found living in another state”, and since then, Ms McGuire said he’s reached out.
Ms McGuire told TMZ she “received a text from her estranged husband”, who also goes by Charlie, saying he is “willing to sit down and talk” after allegedly walking out on her and their kids last year.
She has also taken down her viral Facebook post according to the report, explaining she no longer needs it up since she he was located in Texas, “courtesy of an online follower” who tracked him down for her.
As a result, Ms McGuire can finally begin the legal divorce process, noting she had “absolutely not expected” her plight to go viral.
“This is absolutely insane, I figured maybe someone in my area was still I in touch with him… I’ve gotten more than enough information to locate him,” she wrote in a now-deleted update post.
“Please know I truly do not wish him any type of ill will, I only want to see this situation resolved so me and our children can restart our lives.”
Ms McGuire’s husband hunt had made global headlines after other women, who had allegedly matched with him on dating apps, identified he was in a completely different state to her and their kids, the New York Post reported.
“This is my husband, Charles Withers. He loves to be the centre of attention but I’m not sure how much he’s going to like this,” the mother-of-two wrote in the post on Saturday.
“Last year, when I was pregnant with our youngest baby, he decided being a husband and a dad wasn’t the lifestyle he wanted anymore and he ghosted, like gone without a trace.
“He has one baby he hasn’t seen in over a year, and one he’s never met. He’s moved somewhere and changed his phone number.”
Ms McGuire described her long-lost lover as “British and Charming AF”, adding that the chef was probably working in the “hospitality industry somewhere” and had “probably never mentioned having a wife or kids back in Massachusetts”.
Before flying the coop, Mr Withers had reportedly been a rising star on the local dining scene, where the Londoner helmed the seafood depot C Salt Wine Bar and Grille, the Boston Globe reported in 2021.
The Brit had even appeared in a 2022 episode of the reality TV show Chopped on The Food Network.
Ms McGuire said that ultimately she wanted to close “this chapter” and move on with her life.
“Divorcing someone who’s completely unreachable is really tough and drawn out, so I’m trying to track him down to get his signatures on a few papers,” she wrote.
“If you know him, if you’re working with him, if you’re dating him or friends with him, can you please have him get in touch with me or let me know where I can find him.”
Mr Withers has been contacted for comment.
Women were quick to respond in the group, while others also shared the hunt for Charlie on TiKTok, where it amassed millions of views.
“Turns out he’s alive and well, because she’s been hearing from his alleged girlfriends,” user @marykatherinesamples shared.
The whole ordeal has attracted huge attention, as many compare “single mums” to FBI agents.
“Single mums are a special breed,” Ms McGuire acknowledged in her update.
“I know a lot of you have gone through the same situation I have.”